New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley is no longer welcome at Madison Square Garden, the team announced on Friday.
“It’s not necessarily a lifetime ban. The most important thing is we need to keep the Garden a place that is comfortable and safe,” team owner James Dolan said on ESPN’s The Michael Kay Show.
“Anyone that comes to the Garden, too much alcohol, is looking for a fight and being abusive is going to get banned,” Dolan continued. “Hopefully, it won’t be forever.”
The move comes in the wake of Oakley’s ejection Wednesday night after shoving a security guard during the Knicks-L.A. Clippers game.
After buying a seat close behind where Dolan sits, Oakley was seen shouting at franchise owner Dolan about how he has handled his former team.
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/829501002764124161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
While Oakley was arrested on assault charges, fans have largely sided with the longtime Knicks favorite, who offered his apologies to those he felt he let down.
“I want to say I’m sorry to all the fans of the Garden. I never want to be a troublemaker in life,” Oakley said on ESPN-NY Radio Thursday, Fox Sports reported.
“Whenever I go to the Garden now, security has been told to inform him immediately,” he continued. “Last year against Charlotte, I went to a game and a bunch of security people came up to me right away and told me not to walk around, stay where I am. He just doesn’t want me in the building.”
It appears that, at least for the time being, Dolan will get his way.
Dolan has also fired the head of security at MSG because Oakley should not have made it to his seat at all, according to multiple media reports.
The Knicks owner said that security should have spotted the 10-year veteran of the Knicks as soon as he entered the building and prevented him from going to his seat.
See tweets from Tim Bontemps, NBA writer for The Washington Post, chronicling Dolan’s ESPN Radio interview below.
James Dolan says "Charles never should have made it to his seat." Well, there's your answer for why Frank Benedetto was fired today.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 10, 2017
James Dolan said the Knicks are willing to help Charles Oakley get help. "The first step for anybody is to ask for help."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 10, 2017
Dolan is accusing Oakley of saying things with "racial overtones" and "sexual overtones" at the Garden.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 10, 2017
James Dolan: "I would like to be chanting Charles Oakley. I wish I could be."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 10, 2017
Have these last two days been embarrassing for the Knicks? "I would say that Charles should be embarrassed. Should we? We're sad."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 10, 2017
The Knicks have now sent out video of Charles Oakley from Wednesday night.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 10, 2017