NEW YORK — After testing positive for the coronavirus, New York Knicks owner James Dolan has recovered and is volunteering to donate blood plasma for various medical trials, a team spokesperson confirmed to ESPN.
Dolan’s second test — nearly three-and-a-half weeks after the positive test result — was negative. He has registered to donate plasma to several New York-based hospitals and has given blood to NYU Langone Health and Duke University Medical Center.
The antibody tests are widely regarded as a key to developing a better understanding of the virus and, perhaps, a treatment.
Dolan’s donations were first reported by the New York Post.
In a Knicks statement on March 28, the team said that Dolan, 64, was experiencing “little to no symptoms” and was self-isolating. During his illness, Dolan continued his executive chairman duties from his home.
New York has had the most coronavirus cases of any U.S. state. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were more than 138,000 COVID-19 cases and 9,944 confirmed deaths in New York, according to local government officials. There are 802,583 confirmed cases in the United States.
The NBA has been on pause since mid-March, and Madison Square Garden — home to the Knicks and New York Rangers and used for concerts — has been closed. Dolan started an employee relief fund to help during the coronavirus pandemic — donating $1 million to the fund. The MSG company contributed an additional $1 million and the MSG management team contributed $300,000.
Separately, Dolan had said that arena employees were compensated through May 3. This week, the Garden sent an internal email extending that through May 31.
When the NBA halted its season, the Knicks were 21-45.