CNBC Sport: How James Dolan's hot streak could alter his business empire — and legacy

Key Points James Dolan is on a hot streak as Sphere Entertainment shares soar and the New York Knicks play in the NBA Finals. The valuations of the NBA's Knicks and the NHL's New York Rangers have skyrocketed in recent yeas, buoyed by increases in the leagues' media rights deals. Dolan's recent successes are changing some Knicks fans' minds about his legacy. The unlikely redemption story of New York Knicks owner James Dolan is underway. About a decade ago, in 2014 and 2017, ESPN ranked NBA owners using a panel of more than 200 people who contribute to its coverage of the league. While some owners rose in the rankings and others fell, one constant was Dolan. He ranked dead last both times . Here's a passage from ESPN's 2014 report : "To nobody's surprise, New York Knicks owner James Dolan came in at a distant 30th. In fact, there was a greater margin between Dolan and No. 29 (Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling) than between No. 29 and No. 21 (Philadelphia 76ers owner Joshua Harris)." Dolan earned his reputation with a mix of poor team performance, uninspired front office hiring, and a reputation as a thin-skinned dictator, including banning former player Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden and using facial recognition technology to monitor fans. Underlying it all, many Knicks supporters felt Dolan was infuriatingly un-self aware or, at least, not empathetic to fans' plight. …