The New York Knicks have sought to clear up what they've labelled "misinformation" regarding the awarding of their NBA championship rings after employees received a phishing email posing as an opportunity to claim one.

The Athletic reported on Thursday that some employees received an email in September that said: "Your Employee Championship Ring is here". But those who clicked on the link in the email were informed that they had failed a phishing test and would have to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class.

A Madison Square Garden (MSG) spokesperson admitted on Friday that "using the rings as a lure to gain employees attention was an unfortunate mistake".

In a further statement on Saturday, MSG conceded that using an email regarding the selection of rings to train staffers about cybersecurity was a mistake, though "reminding our employees to protect our IP was not".

Having secured the Knicks' first title since 1973 last season, players were awarded their rings on Tuesday night before losing their season opener against LeBron James' Philadelphia 76ers.

MSG added that more than 275 employees were already set to be gifted rings "in about 4-6 weeks", worth more than $3.7 million.

"There is a great deal of misinformation regarding the championship rings," the statement clarified. "The plan has always been to distribute more than 275 rings and jewelry to the people in the organization who were part of last season's success."