If the New York Knicks were looking for a diversion from either a) their abysmal play in a weak Eastern Conference or b) the fact that their vastly overpaid GM is openly mocking the team’s leading star, then I believe they’ve done a great job. Now, if they’re trying to at all change the narrative that this franchise is anything less than a traveling circus, then perhaps it’s less successful.
I’m referring, of course, to former Knicks star Charles Oakley’s ejection from Madison Square Garden last week, where he was dragged from his courtside seat by a host of security guards during the game and arrested outside the arena by the New York City Police Department, who I’m sure were thrilled by the PR of arresting a legendary figure in New York basketball. While the details are still somewhat unclear, the accusation was that Oakley was boisterous and inappropriate at the game, which may or may not have included obscenities, sexist language, and a whole host of things that would not be appropriate on network television. Team owner James Dolan, who was seated nearby, suggested Oakley deal with a drinking problem. Interestingly, and this is the truth, this is not the first time Dolan has publicly accused someone of being an alcoholic.
Of course, many assume this removal comes specifically from Oakley’s criticism of Dolan and the suspect way that he’s running the team. Oakley wouldn’t be alone in that assessment. I’d guess most of the people in attendance that night would concur, for example. As would anyone who’s accidentally looked at the NBA standings in the better part of the last quarter century. So if Oakley’s crime was pointing out the obvious, then the New York Police are going to have to build a bigger jail. Not for nothing, but most observers seemed to side with Oakley – or at least that he didn’t do anything that warranted being treated like an arrest on a police reality show. One of those observers was none other than John McEnroe, who is seen a series of photos watching Oakley get carried away. Such is the oddity that is New York Knicks basketball. Where rows of celebrities watch security violently escort a team legend out of the building. At the very least, this probably makes all the other teams in the league feel quite functional in comparison.
Some of this has been diffused thanks to a critical meeting between Dolan, Oakley, the League Commissioner, and Michael Jordan, a meeting that rivals the Beer Summit in comedic value. Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest player in the history of the league and now a team owner, had to mediate an argument between two petulant grown men. I’m sure this is exactly how Naismith envisioned the evolution of the game.
Interestingly, something similar almost happened a couple weeks ago at my six-year-old’s CYO league game. Two gentlemen, and I use the term loosely, nearly came to blows in the gym over a common female acquaintance. I happened to be seated right in the middle of them and found myself seriously concerned – not about the kids, but what might happen if I caught an errant blow. It’s hard to read a commentary with a broken jaw. But in a seriousness, it was scene – they had to stop the game, someone called the cops – basically, a giant mess that made everyone a little less promised by the positive virtues of youth sports. And this game was a church, by the way.
To complete the analogy, many consider Madison Square Garden the cathedral of basketball. One that last week looked more like a setting for professional wrestling, where these kinds of stunts are planned all the time. Oakley is no longer banned from the building, thanks to the solid diplomacy of Mr. Jordan, who I’m guessing will be offered a spot in Trump’s cabinet by nightfall. Oakley has said he won’t return without an apology from Dolan, which will probably come right around the time the Knicks win the NBA title. So basically, never. Which means you won’t see Charley Oakley hanging around the Garden anytime soon. That’s truly bad news for James Dolan and the Knicks. This bizarre saga did little to help the cause of the team. But as a diversion from what you might otherwise see on the court – namely Knicks basketball – it worked quite nicely.
Keith Strudler is the director of the Marist College Center for Sports Communication and an associate professor of communication. You can follow him on twitter at @KeithStrudler
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