The New York Knicks announced that retired power forward charles oakley had been barred from Madison Square Garden following an altercation in the stands that resulted in his arrest during Wednesday's basketball game with the Los Angeles Clippers.
MSG Chairman James Dolan said in a radio interview Friday that Oakley was no longer welcome at the Garden and that the arena's security chief, Frank Denedetto, had been fired following the incident..
Dolan did indicate, however, that the situation with Oakley was not beyond repair. "We are going to put the ban in place and hopefully it won't be forever," Dolan said.
Oakley arrested
Wednesday's altercation became obvious in the first quarter of the Knicks' 119-115 loss to the Clippers when security guards tried to remove Oakley from his seat, according to the Associated Press. Oakley eventually was arrested.
Knicks' officials said Oakley was abusive even before he took his courtside seat near where Dolan was sitting and that tensions escalated from there. The team released a one-minute security video showing the start of the altercation and a written report including statements from witnesses, the AP said.
Charges denied
But Oakley, who was a star on Knicks teams in the 1990s, denied allegations of abusive behavior and said he had done nothing wrong. He pledged to hold a press conference next week.
Dolan said Oakley's use of racial and sexual language could have made fans feel unsafe, despite his status as a fan favorite. The Knicks had already stopped inviting Oakley to games and team functions, the AP said.
"He should be up there being recognized because the fans do love him," Dolan said. "But this behavior just doesn't work with that."
In two posts on internet micro-blogging site Twitter, Oakley thanked fans and players for their support and said he loved the Knicks, the AP said.
Critic after retirement
But Oakley became a harsh critic of Knicks' management since his retirement, leading to a strained relationship, the AP said.
"This is not just a day-before-yesterday incident," Dolan said. "Every time we have tried ... to patch things up with him, to mend things with him, we invite him to games, that every time it ends the same way ...
abusive, disrespectful," he said.
But Oakley's attorney, David Z. Chesnoff, released a statement calling the Knicks' conduct "troubling" and requesting that fans send him their videos of the altercation.
"He intends to pursue all legal rights and remedies he may have," Chesnoff said.
