This whole incident started this past Wednesday night at MSG, while the Knicks were playing the Los Angeles Clippers. During the game, Oakley was seen yelling at Knicks owner James Dolan, who was sitting nearby. Then, MSG security stepped in and got involved with the situation. Oakley then pushed security and was thus lead out of the building. After being taken out of the building, New York Police Department arrested Oakley and charged him with three counts of assault and criminal trespassing. In an official statement shortly after Oakley's arrest, the Knicks said he "behaved in a highly inappropriate and completely abusive manner" and closed by saying "he was a great Knick, and we hope he gets some help soon." Since then, the Knicks came out with a statement that said that Oakley will never be allowed to enter MSG again, even if he purchases a ticket. Knicks owner James Dolan said Oakley's ban won't necessarily be forever. Oakley has insisted security came to him and that Garden personnel are ordered to inform Dolan when Oakley is in the building. He stood by his previous claims he did not instigate the altercation. Videos of the incident quickly hit social media and led to the Garden crowd chanting the former player’s name.
So who's right and who's wrong in this whole situation?
Oakley starred for the Knicks from 1988 to 1998 and was an All-Star in 1994, a NBA All-Defensive First Team in 1994 and an NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1998. So he is considered by many to be a legend with this basketball team. And for good reason. He has every reason to be fed up with how the Knicks have been run lately. I know he was trying to get Dolan's attention. He's been wanting a job for the last few years and, in his mind, he feels he can help; the team get out of the funk they're currently in. Oakley wants to make the team better, and hey who doesn't. The Knicks are supposed to be one of the greatest franchise in sports, but they aren't exactly being run like it at the moment. So Oakley tried to get Dolan's attention. He just went about it in a very bad way.
And let's not take the blame off the Knicks, because they are just as much at fault in this situation as Oakley is. See what the Knicks should have done was at least listen to Oakley and what he was trying to say. Dolan has been mishandeling his team over the last couple of seasons and its a sad site to see the Knicks in such bad shape. The turn of the century hasn't been very kind to the team off the court. The fanbase wants and deserves a quality product on the floor and they haven't been getting it. So now, once all this comes down with Oakley, the team puts a ban on the guy? Come on! Look I know he acted out of line, and the Knicks were right in how they handled it the night it happened, but since then I think the punishment was a bit much. The guy is a legend to the team and he deserved a little better then what he got. I'm not saying I agree with how Oakley went about his business with Doaln because I don't I think he was wrong. I just feel the Knicks went a little far with how they banned the guy from games. Let things blow over a little bit and then work on trying to give the guy a chance that's all I'm suggesting/
From what the Knicks did, they were putting a stamp on saying that nobody is allowed to speak their mind and show any displeasure with the team. Fans voice displeasure with the club all the time, I've done it a few times and so have many other Knicks fans I know. So why all of a sudden decide to ban a former player for doing the exact same thing? It makes no sense at all and just makes the Knicks look really bad.
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