Charles Oakley reacted to Patrick Ewing’s controversy with Madison Square Garden security staff earlier this week. The former center was asked for his credentials when he attempted to enter the building, which obviously didn’t sit well with him.
The former No. 1 draft pick vented his frustrations, asking if he was still important for the franchise after all the things he did for them. Pat is one of the three most important players in franchise history but it seems like some people within the organization don’t know him, which is just outrageous.
“I thought this was my building. And I feel terrible that I’m getting stopped, accosted, and asked for passes. Everybody in this building should know who the hell I am,” Ewing said. “And I’m getting stopped, I can’t move around this building and I’m like, ‘What the hell? Is this Madison Square Garden?’”
“I’m going to have to call Mr. Dolan and say, ‘Geez, is my name in the rafters or what?’”
"Everybody in this building should know who the hell I am.”
Patrick Ewing was pissed about being stopped by security at MSG
(via @NBC4Sports)pic.twitter.com/OhhCDdi9C1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 11, 2021
Oakley replied to his former teammate, telling him that the respect for him was lost a long time ago when he was offered a D-League job with the team.
“This man (Dolan) offered you a D-League job. There’s no respect behind your name,” Oakley told the Daily News. “Why are you mad now because they asked you for your (credential)? When they offered you a D-League job that’s when the respect went out the window.”
“This man offered you a D-League job,” Oakley repeated. “Why are you talking to him?”
Charles also starred in a similar situation in recent times, as he was escorted out of the Garden and surrounded by “8 to 10” people.
“Now he knows how I feel,” Oakley said. “But at least he didn’t get jumped and surrounded by 8 to 10 guys. He got it easy.”
This is a big show of disrespect and this situation doesn’t help the Knicks, as Spike Lee said. Although they’re doing great things on the floor, there is still this conception that the owner, James Dolan, is the reason why they can be a successful franchise in the association. If this is the way he treats his legends, no wonder nobody wants to go play in New York when free agency starts.
Oakley had plenty of things to say about Dolan and how he’s damaged the image of the thing with the way he handles business. Now every big player is in Brooklyn while the Nets are developing young guys that have been linked in trade rumors recently.
“No players want to come to the Knicks. Think about the last four guys who came to New York — they’re all in Brooklyn. They landed in New York and went to Brooklyn. KD, Kyrie, James Harden, Blake Griffin,” Oakley said. “There’s always something upstairs. There’s always something. You’re over .500 at the All-Star break for the first time in so many years, now look what happens before you play the first game after the All-Star break — one of the Top 2 greatest Knicks of all-time gets stopped for a pass.
“So now there’s negative energy and people on the team are saying, ‘Wow here we go again.’ We thought we were over this bridge. Nah, you got to pay the toll. There’s always going to be a problem because you have to pay a toll to get across the bridge.”
He went off on the Knicks’ chairman and this won’t be the last time he does it. Now Ewing suffered the ‘Dolan treatment’ although reports suggested the owner called the legend and re-affirmed they’re on good terms and their relationship is as good as ever.
