Knicks Owner, Madison Square Garden Founder James Dolan Tests Positive For Coronavirus

The Madison Square Garden Company MSG founder and chairman James Dolan has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

What Happened

The public relations handle of the New York Knicks, the National Basketball Association team owned by Dolan, announced the development late Saturday on Twitter.

The Madison Square Garden Company Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Dolan has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been in self-isolation and is experiencing little to no symptoms. He continues to oversee business operations.

— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) March 29, 2020

Dolan also owns other sports teams, including the National Hockey League team New York Rangers and Women's NBA team New York Liberty. It's not immediately clear how Dolan was infected. Ten NBA players have been previously confirmed to have COVID-19.

This year's NBA season was suspended on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. Basketball star Kevin Durant, and three of his Brooklyn Nets teammates, also later tested positive for the deadly virus.

The United States is now the world's worst coronavirus pandemic-hit country, with 142,106 confirmed cases, including 2,479 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

New York, where Dolan is based, is the worst-affected state in the U.S.

Price Action

The Madison Square Garden Company's shares closed nearly 1% higher at $236.58 on Friday.

Photo Credit: Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia.