After former Knicks player Charles Oakley got into a physical altercation with Madison Square Garden security on Wednesday night, the Knicks PR Twitter account had this to say: “Charles Oakley came to the game tonight and behaved in a highly inappropriate and completely abusive manner. He has been ejected and is currently being arrested by the New York City Police Department. He was a great Knick and we hope he gets some help soon.”
MORE: LeBron, Wade and CP3 all come to Oakley’s defense
Fast forward to Thursday: Oakley went on ESPN Radio and gave his side of the story, explaining that eight to 10 men told him, “We’ve got orders you have to leave.” He felt the orders came from Knicks owner James Dolan, who Oakley claimed had sent security after him before.
Knicks PR offered this rebuttal: “There are dozens of security staff, employees and NYPD that witnessed Oakley’s abusive behavior. It started when he entered the building and continued until he was arrested and left the building. Every single statement we have received is consistent in describing his actions. Everything he said since the incident is pure fiction.”
Phrases like “gets some help soon” and “pure fiction” sound a bit odd from a PR account. Perhaps because they may have been constructed by the man at the very top — the owner.
Dolan appeared on The Michael Kay Show on Friday afternoon and addressed the Oakley incident in person. He said Oakley would be banned from Madison Square Garden but hoped the ban wouldn’t be “forever.” There was a lot to digest, but one particular answer stood out.
“(Oakley) has a problem,” Dolan said. “People need to sort of understand that. He has a problem with anger. He’s both physically and verbally abusive. He may have a problem with alcohol. We don’t know.”
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There are two explanations here. Either Dolan somehow knows Oakley has an alcohol problem and shared something deeply personal with a massive audience, or he is further attempting to assassinate Oakley’s character in an effort to make himself look better. Both are vile and irresponsible.
Oakley admitted to having a few alcoholic drinks before the game, but making the jump from a few drinks to a physically abusive alcoholic is a dangerous assertion. And it’s one Dolan made that falls in line with his past.
Aside from the previous PR statements, Dolan also attacked a fan in response to a 2015 email criticizing Dolan’s tenure with the franchise. Dolan, a recovered alcoholic himself, told the fan he was a “sad person” and an “alcoholic maybe.” Dolan should treat alcoholism and mental issues with the utmost seriousness and care. Actually, he could take a page out of Oakley’s book.
Oakley has been helping his former on-court foe and recovering alcoholic Jayson Williams with his demons. Last December, Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim explored the relationship between Oakley and Williams. Oakley was instrumental in Williams’ recovery, constantly checking in with Williams and inspecting the Epiphany Treatment Center Williams credits for his current sobriety.
MORE: J.R. Smith is all aboard the “I’m with Oakley” train
And he prides himself on his b.s. detector. After inspecting Epiphany, Oakley told Williams, “Go there. And go there now.” Williams grows emotional recalling this. “Oak is the perfect nickname for Charles,” says Williams. “Solid as they come.”
Instead of looking into how he could de-escalate the situation, Dolan is content to pass blame to anyone else. Eject Oakley and ban him from MSG. Fire the arena’s security chief. Bring your “preparation” binder so you hit all the key points in besmirching Oakley’s name.
Dolan says each time the Knicks have attempted to reach out to Oakley, things get “abusive” and “disrespectful.” But it’s hard to believe Dolan couldn’t have squashed whatever resentment exists between him and Oakley years ago. He even had the chance to make sure a Knicks great wasn’t dragged and pushed to the ground at the Garden, but he never stood up and called off the guards. Oakley is certainly not innocent, but he has apologized for his role in the skirmish and still wants to “work things out.”
Instead of taking responsibility, Dolan doubled down on those PR statements and raised an unfounded substance abuse allegation. It’s sad to think Oakley’s final trip to MSG could end in an ejection and arrest after he gave a decade of his career to the Knicks. It’s even sadder to see Dolan sink to new depths with callous and remorseless treatment of a beloved player. He, of all people, should know better.
