Madison Square Garden is a hotbed for drama this NBA season. Wednesday night during a Nationally televised ESPN game between the Knicks and Clippers, former NBA legend Charles Oakley was physically removed by security.
The Knicks PR department released a statement via Twitter saying they hoped Charles Oakley gets the help he needs.
Oakley was released from the Midtown South police station around midnight. Oak is out of jail and wants to tell his side of the story.
The Knicks side, Oakley was yelling and cursing at Knicks Owner James Dolan and that was what kicked off the ordeal. Oakley is telling a different story to the New York Daily News.
Oakley says Garden security asked him to leave simply because Dolan did not want him there.
“I was there for four minutes,” Oakley said late Wednesday night. “I didn’t say anything to him. I swear on my mother. They came over and wanted to know why I was sitting there. I bought the ticket. I said why do you guys keep staring at me. Then they asked me to leave. And I said I’m not leaving”
“I want to sit down to talk to him. I want me and him in a room. And lock the door,” Oakley said. “Lock that door. … I mean, he can have the police outside the door.”
After being escorted through the tunnel, Oakley was overheard shouting for his release, “F–k that, let me go.” A witnesses stated that Phil Jackson unsuccessfully tried to calm down the emotional Oakley. After Oakley was taken away by police, Chris Rock was spotted walking through hallway asking, “What the hell happened?”
Since the incident took place, several NBA players have come out in support of Charles Oakley on social media, including LeBron James and Chris Paul.
Hope that he gets some help soon? Not the right way to portray Oak…always had my back and the realest person our league has seen #UncleOak
— Chris Paul (@CP3) February 9, 2017
It’s not as if the Knicks need more bad press with the ongoing Carmelo Anthony saga. You think free agents really want to step into this garden of dysfunction?
