Yesterday’s scene in the NBA league office feels like something out of Basketball Mad Libs.
-NBA commissioner Adam Silver
-Knicks owner James Dolan
-Disgraced Knicks legend Charles Oakley
-Michael Jordan
Three (Silver, Dolan and Oakley) in one room, with one (Jordan) on the phone. That quartet, according to a statement put out by the NBA, found a way to broker peace between Dolan and Oakley.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the situation involving Charles Oakley and Madison Square Garden pic.twitter.com/T8cmFx6tmV
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2017
Less than three full days after the Knicks banned Oakley from Madison Square Garden for life–and fans responded in an anti-team and Dolan fashion–the ban is done. One of the ugliest weeks in Knicks history will hopefully, in the eyes of the NBA, be a thing of the past.
Jordan and Oakley were teammates with the Chicago Bulls from 1985-88 and with the Washington Wizards in 2002-03–the latter representing Jordan’s final season in the NBA. While it may seem strange for another NBA owner to help Silver broker peace, Jordan and Oakley’s relationship–along with Jordan’s standing atop the sport–made him a natural fit to be on the call.
Last week, Oakley was ejected from Madison Square Garden during a game with the Los Angeles Clippers. Video of the incident went viral, following by a public dispute on what happened during the incident.
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On Friday, Dolan explained the ban during an appearance on 98.7 ESPN Radio in New York.
“It’s very clear to us, right, that Charles Oakley came to the Garden with a mission–with an agenda on his mind,” Dolan said. “From the minute he walked through the doors, he started with abusive behavior. It just accelerated and accelerated all the way to his seats and with security. It eventually led to his ejection.”
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Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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