Exclusive | The pre-playoff James Dolan speech delivered to the Knicks I know you can do it. . .You know you can do it

Mike Brown sat to the right of James Dolan, Knicks players seated in front of them at the club’s practice facility. It was before the April 3 shootaround when Dolan gave an impassioned 15-minute speech, recorded on video, that implored his Knicks to sacrifice everything with an unyielding commitment across the next 10 weeks of the playoffs to compete a mission years in the making — and 53 years in all — that would make every one of them champions and kings of New York with rings for one and all for the rest of their lives.10 Weeks to Glory.10 Weeks that would change their lives and the lives of their loved ones forever.The Future Was Now.And the owner believed.“I don’t know if you understand what it would mean to win the NBA championship,”  Dolan told his Knicks.“It would be life-changing… It will stick with you the rest of your lives.

And if you don’t win, you’ll be thinking about it the rest of your lives.”And if you do win, this team will belong up in the rafters with the 1970 Knicks and the 1973 Knicks.“You will forever ever be important to New York City,” Dolan said.“No matter where you go and what you do the rest of your lives, when people introduce you, even if you become the president of the United States, they’ll start off with ‘NBA champion, 2026.’  … That’s what’s at stake here.”So seize the moment. “The big word is sacrifice.

You’re going to have to sacrifice if you want to achieve this,” Dolan said. “It’s only 10 weeks, it’s not a long time..

.Sacrifice everything you got these next 10 weeks to win that championship.“I know you can do it… You know you can do it.

I believe you know you can do it.“Will you do it?”He offered suggestions:He implored his Knicks to eliminate distractions and bind together even tighter.“At the end of this 10 weeks, what you achieve is what the public’s gonna think of you — not what you say in the press conferences, etcetera,” Dolan told them.He ...