The aftermath of Charles Oakley getting unceremoniously booted from a Knicks game involves plenty of finger pointing and even the firing of the head of security. Unfortunately, it also includes team owner James Dolan banning Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden.
The ban isn’t forever—but this is Charles Oakley, the triple OG who bled and sweat for the Knicks and has gotten overwhelming support from his peers and current players, including LeBron James.
Reports the NBA:
Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan says Charles Oakley has been banned from the arena, though not necessarily forever.
In an interview Friday with ESPN Radio’s Michael Kay, Dolan also confirms a report that he had fired the Garden’s security chief, two nights after Oakley was forcefully removed from his seat and arrested at a Knicks game. Dolan says the firing of the security head stemmed from more than just the handling of the Oakley incident.
Dolan says that games must remain safe for fans, and for that reason, “We are going to put the ban in place and hopefully it won’t be forever.”
Dolan’s moves reek of a smear campaign. First was the Knicks press statement that night, that insinuated that Oakley needed “help,” for something.
Now, the Knicks have reportedly been circulating witness statements that support their claims that Oakley was being verbally abusive that night. Of course, all of them happen to Oak in the most negative of lights.
Oakley maintains that the Knicks have never fully embraced him since he retired and that Dolan won’t even have a conversation with him.
Knicks fans deserve better than this.
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Photo: WENN.com
