Oakley chants pic.twitter.com/oLknHbjIxw
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) February 11, 2017
You knew the chants were coming.
Hours after Knicks owner James Dolan banned former franchise great Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden, the team took the floor for a home game against the Denver Nuggets.
Early in the first quarter, the “We want Oakley!” chants broke out among the thousands in attendance.
Not surprisingly, every time “We Want Oakley!” chants break out, stadium music streams in. #Knicks pic.twitter.com/122UBHLu1q
— Jacob Emert (@JacobEmert) February 11, 2017
Oakley, a 10-year veteran of the Knicks and member of the 1993-94 NBA Finals team, was forcefully removed from the arena on Tuesday after an altercation with security.
Three days later, Knicks fans cleary have the big man’s back.
Loudest Oakley chant of the night so far #Knicks pic.twitter.com/9JkvDQAoUj
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) February 11, 2017
The Knicks have been widely blamed among the fan base, and Dolan–hardly a fan favorite to being with–has been roasted for his handling of the issue. On Friday, Dolan enacted the ban on Oakley that may–or may not–be a lifetime sentence for a player that is among the most popular in franchise history.
Oak explains his side
Dolan, appearing on the Michael Kay Show on 98.7 ESPN in New York, gave this reason for the ejection on Tuesday and ultimate decision now.
“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.”
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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