Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (NYSE: MSGS) (“MSG Sports”) today announced that Jamaal Lesane, an accomplished executive with multifaceted sports industry experience, has been named Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Lesane previously served as MSG Sports’ Executive Vice President and General Counsel since March 2022.
As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Lesane works closely with executive leadership to strengthen the Company’s portfolio and support its long-term direction and growth. This includes supporting MSG Sports’ overall strategic vision, while driving innovation and optimizing corporate performance across the Company’s professional sports franchises. In this role he oversees business operations for the Company’s teams, including the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, directly managing core functions such as strategic planning, marketing, ticketing, and the in-game experience, as well as community and fan development.
“I am pleased that Jamaal has stepped into this expanded leadership role with MSG Sports,” said Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MSG Sports. “In his more than 15 years with MSG, Jamaal has proven to be a strategic and effective leader, and his multifaceted experience across numerous aspects of our operations will be an asset as we continue to grow and innovate in our business.”
“The opportunity to take on this new role at MSG Sports is a tremendous honor,” said Mr. Lesane. “Throughout my career at MSG I have had experience working across different areas of the business, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues across the Company to continue building the legacies of MSG Sports, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.”
Mr. Lesane joined the MSG Family of Companies in 2008 and has served in roles of increasing responsibility over more than 15 years. Prior to becoming Executive Vice President and General Counsel in March 2022, Mr. Lesane was Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel. And prior to MSG Sports becoming a standalone company in April 2020 when The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) separated its entertainment and sports businesses, Mr. Lesane was MSG’s Senior Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs. In this role he served as team counsel for the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and Westchester Knicks, while also providing legal support for all other MSG sports properties – including college basketball, boxing, wrestling, and mixed martial arts – occurring at MSG’s venues, which includes Madison Square Garden.
Prior to joining MSG, Mr. Lesane worked as an Associate Counsel at Home Box Office, Inc. (HBO), where he provided legal support and counsel to HBO Sports and HBO Licensing and Retail. Prior to HBO, he was a corporate lawyer at Covington and Burling LLP.
Mr. Lesane graduated with a B.A. from Yale University and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
