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Charles Oakley (Source: NBA)
Charles Oakley, a former New York Knicks player, says no thanks and will not enter Madison Square Garden. Not during the NBA playoffs, and not while he is still suing Madison Square Garden and team owner James Dolan following a scuffle with security during a 2017 game that resulted in Oakley being ejected from the venue.
As per AP News “I guess their lawyer called my lawyer saying it’s a good time for you to come back to the Garden,” Oakley said. Oakley, a former NBA enforcer and rebounding machine for the Knicks in the 1990s, stated that he has no interest in returning as long as he conflicts with Dolan.
The rivalry began in 2017 when Oakley was jailed following an incident with MSG security officers after they instructed him to vacate his spot near Dolan. Oakley was cleared of misdemeanor assault charges in 2018.
As Per AP News, “They’ve got to apologize,” he said. “We’ll go from there. Can (Dolan) be man enough to say, mistakes happen? And he made one.”
Oakley filed assault and battery accusations against Dolan, and an updated case was filed just last month. An order issued Thursday assigned it to Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron to oversee moving forward.
"Just be honest," Oakley stated. "Just be honest about what you put someone through and how you affected their lives. This undoubtedly impacted my life. My daughter Googled me, and it shows them dragging me out of the Garden, which is horrible. It's horrible for a child to witness that."
Charles Oakley helped New York Knicks to reach final
The Knicks are experiencing an NBA resurgence behind Jalen Brunson, and they lead the Eastern Conference playoffs 2-0 heading into Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. The Knicks are experiencing an NBA resurgence behind Jalen Brunson, and they lead the Eastern Conference playoffs 2-0 heading into Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
The 60-year-old Oakley played with New York Knicks from 1988 to 1998, helping them reach the NBA Finals, but he has a strained relationship with the franchise due to his previous criticism of Dolan. Oakley claimed Dolan and the Knicks of assault, violence, false imprisonment, and slander when they indicated he had an alcohol issue. Oakley sat beside Dolan at a game on February 8, 2017. He was confronted by security shortly after entering and proceeded to brawl with them before being taken from his seat and detained.