“I wish he had a longer fuse when it comes to the fans,” said David Stern. “There are some overreactions, but it will have nothing to do with free agency or how the team is run. That all falls on Steve Mills and Scott Perry. Him having a short fuse at times will have zero bearing on player signings.”

Stern empathizes with Dolan desperately wanting the Knicks to win.

“Jim has been on a crusade to get the best basketball people around him,” Stern said. “That’s what he thought he had with Phil (Jackson) and Isiah (Thomas) and Donnie (Walsh), and what he thinks he has now with Steve and Scott.”