Business Decision with Mike Vorkunov

Why the Knicks Are a Unique NBA Championship Story

The New York Knicks completed the most unbelievable comeback ever. And it wasn't just what Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, KAT and Co. pulled off in Game 4 of the NBA Finals! The Knicks won their first NBA title in 53 years because of an unlikely rise from the bottom. Two former Knicks beat writers and NBA reporters — Mike Vorkunov and Yaron Weitzman — talk about how they got there. The Knicks beat the Spurs in 5 but their path from the depths of the late 2010s was even more incredible. Do you remember the Phil Jackson days? Or him beefing with Carmelo Anthony? Do you still own a Frank Ntilikina jersey? Mike and Yaron talk about what it was like in some of the bleaker days and what made these Knicks so good. They tell behind the scenes stories about covering the #Knicks. What a ride it's been. 11:44 Why the Knicks won a totally unique title compared to NBA history 28:24 What lessons the rest of the NBA can take from these Knicks 31:57 How the Knicks were ahead of the curve 45:39 A walk down Knicks memory lane READING LIST: 'A diabolical genius’: The new bright mind in the Knicks front office [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1816883/2020/05/22/a-diabolical-genius-the-new-bright-mind-in-the-knicks-front-office/] Inside look at how Leon Rose rebuilt the Knicks: ‘We need Quickley’ [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1665199/2020/11/05/leon-rose-new-york-knicks-new-president-james-dolan/] Jalen Brunson, NBA champion and finals MVP, is officially the greatest Knick ever [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7358437/2026/06/14/jalen-brunson-greatest-knicks-nba-championship/]

Could You Buy the Knicks Soon? Kind of.

You could buy a piece of the New York Knicks and Rangers soon. No, really. MSG Sports, the owners of the NBA and NHL teams, is planning to spin each of those teams off into separate publicly traded companies. That means Knicks and Rangers stock could soon be available on the stock. But why is this happening. Mike Vorkunov [https://x.com/MikeVorkunov], a reporter for The Athletic, and Yaron Weitzman [https://x.com/YaronWeitzman], a NBA reporter and author, talk to Lightshed Partners analyst Brandon Ross [https://x.com/BrandoLightShed] about why MSG Sports is spinning off its two teams into separate companies and what it means. Could a sale of either team be on the horizon? We got the answers for you here. 3:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54cNQUqhL5g&t=180s] — Would the Knicks actually be sold? 5:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54cNQUqhL5g&t=330s] — Why is James Dolan doing this? 14:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54cNQUqhL5g&t=840s] — There's little benefit to being publicly traded company if you're a sports teams 🔔 Subscribe for more Knicks/NBA business breakdowns

The NBA's Big $10 Billion Question

What's going to happen to the Los Angeles Lakers? That's the $10 Billion question around the NBA right now. The Lakers are undergoing a makeover. Maybe on the court, as they build around Luka Dončić, but definitely in the front office and through the organization. That's because of the guy who bought them last year: Mark Walter, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Will Walter try to make the Lakers into the Dodgers? That's what everyone wants to know. Mike Vorkunov [https://x.com/MikeVorkunov], an NBA [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/nba] reporter for The Athletic, and Yaron Weitzman [https://x.com/YaronWeitzman], a NBA reporter and the author of A Hollywood Ending," his book about LeBron James and the Lakers, discuss what happens next with the #Lakers [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lakers] and how owning one pro sports team impacts how you run another. They also discuss the Philadelphia 76ers and if the Lakers can anything from the ownership of Josh Harris, who also owns a NFL team, EPL team, NHL team, and soon a WNBA team. THE READING LIST What will the Lakers look like with top Dodgers execs helping lead the way? That's the big question in L.A. [https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/what-will-the-lakers-look-like-with-top-dodgers-execs-helping-lead-the-way-thats-the-big-question-in-la-184532926.html] A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers [https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Ending-Dreams-LeBron-Lakers/dp/0385550227] The NBA's $10 Billion Question: What Happens With the Lakers [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbJHfpXlgdc&t=14s]

The Case Against NBA Expansion

The NBA seems set to expand. It's definitely exploring it. But is it good for the league? On this episode of Business Decision, Mike Vorkunov talks to The Ringer's Howard Beck to see if the NBA should expand and why it could hurt the league. Not financially. The NBA will make plenty of money. But if it will make the basketball worse. The part no one is talking about for the basketball league. Howard and Mike discuss the case against expansion and why it would dilute the quality of basketball. They also talk about whether the NBA will expand at all and what the factors at play are for the NBA. Where? How much? Why? All that and much more. THE READING LIST “There’s No Basketball Case”: Why the NBA Is Expanding Anyway [https://www.theringer.com/2026/03/26/nba/nba-expansion-las-vegas-seattle-draft-teams-adam-silver] Are We Sure NBA Expansion Is a Good Idea? [https://www.theringer.com/2025/02/18/nba/nba-expansion-teams-las-vegas-seattle-adam-silver-future]

How to Build a New Sneaker Company and the NBA All-Star Hoping to "Make This an Empire”

The Athletic's national NBA reporter, Mike Vorkunov, looks at how a new shoe company goes from new to an NBA court. On this episode of Business Decision, Mike talked to Stria Sports founder Eric Porter and Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond about how they are trying to build the company into something big and sustainable. Porter founded the company a few years ago and Drummond, a two-time All-Star, just came on as an investor and creative director. Soon, he'll have his own signature shoe. That will be the first time a Stria sneaker hits the #NBA hardwood. So why did Drummond leave Nike for a little-known emerging company? He describes his decision and what he hopes to do at Stria. Porter talks about his idea behind starting the company and what the ambitions are. Also, what's the best business decision both of them made? And why Andre Drummond doesn't just take the easy money anymore.