Charles Oakley's actions at Knicks game nothing new
Charles Oakley did Wednesday what he has always done — he fought for his team.
He was a tough and imposing player throughout his 19 NBA seasons, the enforcer on Pat Riley’s Knicks teams in the early 1990s. When “Oak” saw an opponent taking liberties, he jumped into action.
What he has seen with the Knicks for more than a decade now is an owner taking liberties with a once-great franchise. James Dolan has drawn the ire of Knicks fans from almost the moment he took on a larger role running the team in 1999. Oakley, on the other hand, has kept his distance from the organization for many years and been critical of Dolan, calling him in 2015, “a bad guy.”
Well, on Wednesday, he apparently took it a step further.
Oakley was arrested and charged with three counts of assault following an altercation in the stands near Dolan at Madison Square Garden.
It was an ugly scene, not that different from the kind of havoc Oakley would occasionally create on the floor. According to ESPN, citing a police official, Oakley was sitting a few rows behind Dolan and making comments about the team owner when security tried to escort Oakley from the arena. (Oakley insisted to the New York Daily News that he did not say a word to Dolan).
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With fans chanting “Oakley. Oakley,” the 54-year-old punched three Knicks employees, according to the New York Police Department. He was eventually wrestled to the ground and taken to a nearby police station where he was processed for a desk appearance and issued a summons to report to court.
Oakley was the heart and soul of the Knicks during his tenure from 1988-1998. They reached the playoffs every year in that period, including an NBA Finals appearance in 1994, when the Houston Rockets captured the title.
The Knicks again reached the finals in 1999, Dolan’s first year at the helm. Since then, they have made the playoffs five times, eliminated in the first round on four of those occasions.
So is it any surprise that Oakley would try to force the issue with Dolan? While allegedly assaulting security officials cannot be condoned, it can be understood, and it is being celebrated.
Fans were praising Oakley. The Daily News screamed on its back page Thursday: “Good Oak days! A Knick finally shows fight.” And LeBron James posted a photo on Instagram of vintage Oakley with the hashtag #Legend.
The Knicks’ reaction? They released a statement saying of Oakley, “He was a great Knick and we hope he gets some help soon."
Oakley would probably say, the Knicks were a great franchise and he hopes they get some help soon.