When taking a holistic view of the condition of the franchise as a whole, the overall vibes are pretty good around the New York Knicks right now.
The Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, a postseason streak so dry that fans have already celebrated with a parade. And while they are 3-2 down to the Indiana Pacers in the series, facing elimination at the penultimate hurdle and struggling against the brilliance of Pacers guard Tyrese Halliburton – at least they are getting this far now.
However, there exists a lingering cloud around the franchise. Charles Oakley, an icon of 1980s and 1990s Knicks basketball, remains a persona non grata.
A member of the Knicks for a decade between 1988 and 1998, Oakley is synonymous with the tough, gritty physical Knicks basketball of that stretch, and fans would like to celebrate that accordingly. However, due to an ongoing personal conflict, he remains an outcast from the Knicks, to the point that he was until recently banned from attending home games altogether.
Knicks Ownership Edict Trumps All
The issue simply boils down to a personal one between Oakley and the Knicks’ majority owner, James Dolan. Oakley has never been one to hold back with his words, and Dolan has never been one to brush other’s words off. It was always going to be a volatile mix.
Oakley and Dolan’s relationship came to a head in February 2017, when Oakley was arrested during a game at Madison Square Garden and charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and criminal trespassing. (The charges were later dropped.)
As recently as February of this year, eight years after the initial incident, the war of words still rages on. Subsequent litigation has also dragged on for several years, and according to the New York Post, the continuing legal proceedings disincline Dolan and the Knicks’ ownership from inviting Oakley back. Despite Michael Jordan and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver trying to act as intermediaries, neither Oakley nor Dolan seemed particularly interested in a reconciliation.
Oakley Not Banned, But Not Exactly Welcome
Initially banned from the Garden entirely, Oakley’s ban was soon lifted, but this does not mean he has been welcomed back with open arms. He claims not to have returned to the Garden, despite the ban being lifted, and despite saying how much he wants to rebuild his relationship with the franchise where he did his best work.
âI would love to be there. I know the fans would love me to be there; I love the fans”, said Oakley in an interview this week with former NBA player Jim Jackson on The Jim Jackson Show. “They gave me a lot of cheer over the years, but it all started from the Commissioner, the owner and all other owners in the NBA, because he making it bad for all the teams in the league for something like this to be going on for eight years.â
In addition to Silver, Oakley blamed fellow Knicks franchise legend Patrick Ewing for not using his influence with the franchise to remedy the situation.
âEven though all them guys [are] going back, I really canât blame all them guys, because I didnât really play with all of them,â Oakley said. âThe ones I played with who got some power, I thought would be Patrick, but he didnât step up.”
Knicks Might Still Welcome Him Back
Nevertheless, per the Post’s report, there is a path back to full acceptance if Oakley drops the lawsuit. Rather than having to pay his way in to games – which he says he is not doing anyway – Oakley could be treated as the franchise grandee that he is, and would likely get his jersey number retired in celebration of the decade of quality play and identity he gave the Knicks.
That is, however, a big “if”. If either Dolan or Oakley were going to admit they were the ones in the wrong, they have had eight years to do it. Such a thing has not happened. Perhaps Ewing’s help is needed after all.
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