New York Knicks owner James Dolan is refusing to let go of his grudge against Charles Oakley, even with the franchise back in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.
And apparently not even Michael Jordan could change his mind.
Ahead of Game 1, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed that he and Jordan tried to broker peace between Dolan and the former Knicks enforcer. Neither got anywhere.
EX-KNICKS STAR CHARLES OAKLEY MUST PAY MSG $642K IN ATTORNEY FEES AMID ONGOING COURT BATTLE OVER 2017 EJECTION
Rachel Nichols reported:
“Adam Silver says both he and Michael Jordan tried their best to broker peace between Charles Oakley and James Dolan, but neither was successful. Oakley has been at Knicks road games during this playoff run but remains banned from The Garden.”
The greatest player in NBA history and the commissioner of the league both stepped in to help resolve one of basketball’s dumbest feuds.
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Dolan still wouldn’t budge.
The bad blood dates back to February 2017 when Oakley attended a Knicks home game and sat a few rows behind Dolan’s courtside seat.
Dolan claimed Oakley was verbally abusive. Oakley denied it. Before long, security surrounded the former fan favorite and dragged him out of the arena in handcuffs as stunned fans watched.
The ugly scene quickly became one of the most embarrassing moments of Dolan’s tenure as Knicks owner.
Instead of trying to calm things down, Dolan escalated the situation. He later suggested Oakley had an alcohol problem.
Oakley fired back with a defamation lawsuit. The legal fight dragged on for years, but one thing never changed: Dolan kept Oakley banned from The Garden.
Fast-forward to this postseason.
While the Knicks have made a historic run behind Jalen Brunson, Oakley has been supporting the team from road arenas around the country. He’s attended games in opposing buildings and cheered on the franchise he helped define during the 1990s.
He’s welcome in virtually every NBA arena. Just not at Madison Square Garden.
Dolan owns the building. He can decide who gets through the doors. But after all these years, refusing to bury the hatchet with Oakley says far more about Dolan than it does about the former Knicks star.
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Jordan and Silver tried. Dolan said no. Nearly a decade later, the grudge is still going strong.
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