NEW YORK (AP) — Madison Square Garden says an email that led employees to believe they were selecting a Knicks championship ring but instead was a phishing attempt was an “unfortunate mistake.”
The company added Friday that more than 275 players and employees will still be getting rings as planned.
Knicks players received the rings they earned by winning the NBA championship on Tuesday night before their season-opening loss to Philadelphia. On Thursday, The Athletic reported that assistant coaches did not get rings that night.
The report also stated that in September, MSG employees received an email reading: “Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here.” It showed a graphic with two ring styles that could be selected, but those who clicked on the link at the bottom of the email were forced to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class.
“The company had previously sent out an email to its corporate team as a simulation of a phishing attack designed to strengthen our security against hackers. MSG was recently hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack. Using the rings as a lure to gain employees attention was an unfortunate mistake," a Madison Square Garden spokesperson said in a statement.
"The company is gifting more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees and other members of the Knicks family, worth more than $3.7 million, in recognition of their contributions and celebrating this achievement.”
See AP’s full NBA coverage here
New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, center, looks at his 2025-26 World Champions ring alongside teammates center Karl-Anthony Towns, left, and guard Josh Hart before an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, center, shows his ring to his father Rick Brunson before an NBA basketball game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump, seeking to help Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a tough reelection battle in Maine, is exempting some imports — including plywood sheets, packing crates and some machinery — from the 50% tariffs he slapped on $20 billion worth of Canadian products over the summer. The changes will take effect Oct. 30.
The White House said the president was seeking to offset "the burden to U.S. commerce while better serving the public interest.''
Collins, locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, issued a statement saying she'd spoken with Trump's top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick "about the toll tariffs are taking on Maine families, businesses, farmers, and growers.''
"Many of our farmers and growers rely on specialized equipment, packaging materials, and other products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense,” Collins said.
She said she asked for tariff relief for such products “and stressed the burdens additional costs impose on Maine businesses and families.”
Collins said she'd seek "additional relief from tariffs and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner.”
Trump started a trade war with America’s longstanding ally and northern neighbor, reaching back to a Depression-era trade law to impose tariffs on Canadian imports. He charged that Canada discriminates against U.S. dairy, auto and alcoholic beverage producers. Canada promptly lashed back with tariffs of 15% to 50% on American products, matching Trump’s import taxes dollar for dollar.
Trump ratcheted the dispute up from there last month by imposing a flat-out ban on $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles.
The U.S. president has claimed that foreign countries pay his tariffs. In fact, U.S. importers do. And they often face the tough choice of having to pass along the higher costs to their customers or absorb them.
As the Nov. 3 midterm elections approach, many Americans are furious about the cost of living. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll of 2,140 U.S. adults, conducted Sept. 24-28, found that 65% now blame Trump’s policies for persistently high prices more than factors outside of his control, signaling weariness over his aggressive use of tariffs and unhappiness with the war with Iran, which has driven up the price of gasoline.
Collins complained that Trump’s levies were hurting Maine farms and businesses that rely on Canadian imports when U.S.-made alternatives are not available. Her office cited the example of Maine wild blueberry growers who need specialized harvesting boxes from Canada that work with their processing equipment.
Sen. Susan Collins speaks to reporters following a campaign stop Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
