The Daily News gets the last laugh after the NBA fines the Knicks

A feud between the New York Daily News and the Knicks is hopefully over after the NBA fined the franchise $50,000.

Reporters were apparently barred from attending a press conference for the Knicks’ 2019 draft picks R.J. Barrett and Ignas Brazdeikis, but the conflict goes back farther than that — in December, a beat writer was barred from a Steve Mills press conference. Not so coincidentally, that happened days after the tabloid ran this back page calling for owner James Dolan to sell the team.

Here's our @NYDNSports Tuesday back page:
James Dolan won't rule out selling #Knicks for hefty price of 5 billion big ones (@SBondyNYDN): https://t.co/odC4amsTkn@NBAonTNT @espn @BackPageGuyNYDN @APSE_sportmedia pic.twitter.com/uyQsEovEH7

— Scott Chiusano (@scottchiusano) December 18, 2018

The latest move against the Daily News had journalists from other publications fuming:

Petty. Unprofessional. Unwarranted. Unbecoming of an NBA team. Have never seen this in my 22 years covering the league. https://t.co/eaqIFmF5gv

— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 21, 2019

The Knicks barred the @NYDailyNews from a press conference? LONG overdue but the league MUST step in and stop Jim Dolan from doing this in what is supposed to be the most open sports in the league in the world. All credentialed media members get equal access in the NBA!

-30 – https://t.co/gm7y3lliIg

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 22, 2019

The Knicks claimed they “made an error in interpreting Friday’s announcement as an invite-only event,” but perhaps the fine from the NBA marks the end. And it resulted in this shot across the bow from Daily News editor Kyle Wagner, via the New York Times:

“The Knicks were allowed for too long to restrict access to credentialed reporters. We’re pleased that the N.B.A. has finally addressed the issue, hopefully for the final time, and contented that the Knicks found someone to take their money this summer.”