NBA enlists Michael Jordan in quest to end Charles Oakley’s Knicks ban
· Yahoo Sports
Ever since he was removed from Madison Square Garden and arrested for an altercation with security guards in 2017, New York Knicks great Charles Oakley has been banned from the arena.
The decision was made by owner James Dolan, who is apparently refusing to end the ban despite the Knicks making their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
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According to FOX Sports 1’s Rachel Nichols, the league has pulled out all the stops to try and “broker peace” between Dolan and Oakley before the Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs for Game 3 of the NBA Finals at MSG on Wednesday, June 8.
In fact, Commissioner Adam Silver and NBA legend Michael Jordan even tried to help.
“Adam Silver says both he and Michael Jordan tied their best to broker peace between Charles Oakley and James Dolan, but neither was successful,” Nichols reported.
While Oakley hasn’t been able to attend Knicks home games during the playoffs, he has “been at road games during this playoff run,” Nichols added.
Oakley’s connection to Jordan not only comes from the many times they squared off during the legendary Knicks-Bulls rivalry of the 1990s, but also from their time together as teammates in the late 1980s.
What James Dolan said about Oakley’s ban
Dolan said back in 2017 that Oakley isn’t “necessarily” banned for life.
He also noted the ban comes from his fear that Oakley is a danger because of anger and potential alcohol issues.
“It’s not necessarily a lifetime ban,” Dolan said. “I think the most important thing with that is that we need to keep the Garden a place that’s comfortable and safe for everyone who goes there. Anybody that comes to the Garden, whether they’ve been drinking too much alcohol, they’re looking for a fight, they’re abusive, disrespectful to the staff and the fans — they’re going to be ejected, and they’re going to be banned.”
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“I think that Charles has got a problem. I’ve said this before, we’ve said it before. We’ve said it one time that, you know, he’s his own worst problem. He has a problem. People need to sort of understand that. He has a problem with anger. He’s both physically and verbally abusive. He may have a problem with alcohol, we don’t know, right? But those behaviors of being physically and verbally abusive — those are personality problems,” Dolan added.
There’s no doubt Oakley was in the wrong for what he did, but to his credit he did apologize for his actions.
While Dolan has never committed to this being a lifetime ban, it’s starting to feel like that is the case.
Not allowing Oakley in the building for this series will only add fuel to the fire that he will never be allowed back.
James Dolan needs to end the ban
Oakley was a key member of the 90s Knicks teams and is one of the more memorable players of that era.
It just wouldn’t be right for him to not be in the building for the franchise’s first NBA Finals game at MSG in 27 years, and for every one after that.
It’s time for Dolan to end this ban, although if Michael Jordan and Adam Silver weren’t able to get the job done, we’re not sure it’s even possible.