Knicks fan Spike Lee was in tears when he saw Charles Oakley handcuffed in a hallway behind the court at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. The film director on Sunday called the Oakley incident “insanity” and questioned owner James Dolan’s decision to suggest Oakley had a drinking problem.
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Sprewell sits next to Knicks owner Dolan at MSG
Latrell Sprewell, along with former Knicks Bernard King and Larry Johnson, sat next to Knicks owner James Dolan at MSG, days after Charles Oakley was removed from the arena and arrested.
Oakley responds to Dolan: I’m not an alcoholic
Charles Oakley says that just because he helps others at treatment centers, including ex-NBA player Jayson Williams, doesn’t mean he’s an alcoholic, as James Dolan has suggested.
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Latrell Sprewell, along with former Knicks Bernard King and Larry Johnson, sat next to Knicks owner James Dolan at MSG, days after Charles Oakley was removed from the arena and arrested.
Charles Oakley says that just because he helps others at treatment centers, including ex-NBA player Jayson Williams, doesn’t mean he’s an alcoholic, as James Dolan has suggested.
“I mean, how can you say somebody is an alcoholic? You just can’t, in my opinion,” Lee, speaking a small group of reporters, said at Madison Square Garden on Sunday while wearing an Oakley jersey. “And even if the person was, why would you say that? I don’t know why you would say that. All I can do is wear my jersey.”
Oakley was ejected from the arena and arrested on Wednesday night after a scuffle with security. The Knicks say that Oakley was behaving in an abusive manner toward security. Oakley denies it. Dolan has banned Oakley indefinitely from the arena.
Lee, a lifelong Knicks fans, believes that the Knicks’ treatment of Oakley — coupled with Phil Jackson’s direct and indirect criticisms of star Carmelo Anthony — will hurt their recruitment of free agents.
“Who’s gonna come here?” Lee said. Earlier in the week, Lee told ESPN-Tencent that he’d help Jackson pack his bags when asked to pick sides in the Jackson-Anthony feud.
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