Charles Oakley was ejected from Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night and arrested following a confrontation he had with security, but the New York Knicks star insists he was unfairly targeted.
After he was booked and released, Oakley told members of the media that he was simply trying to support the Knicks and “have a good time” with friends when he was asked to leave the building.
“I asked why,” Oakley explained, according to a video shared by ESPN.com. “They said, ‘You have to leave because someone ordered you to leave.’ I’m like, ‘I’ve been here four and a half minutes, I’m a Knicks fan, played here for 10 years, love the Knicks, love New York, I wish them all the luck and success on the basketball court, and I don’t know why I’m not welcome in the Garden.'”
Reports indicate that Oakley was yelling at Knicks owner James Dolan and was warned to stop. The 53-year-old is said to be upset that the team is celebrating its 70th anniversary and has not asked him to be a part of it.
Oakley vehemently denies having said anything to Dolan, and he blames Madison Square Garden security for making him feel “threatened.”
“When somebody’s walking up on you, you’ve got to protect yourself,” he told reporters. “I’ve been in situations like this before. I’ve been jumped before. So in my mind I was thinking if you see seven, eight, nine, 10 guys walking up on you, you have to brace yourself for the challenge.”
It would not be surprising if Oakley is banned for life from attending Knicks games, as he got physical with more than one security staffer. You can see some videos of the incident here.
