Knicks ban Charles Oakley indefinitely, fire MSG security chief
The New York Knicks have banned former longtime power forward Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden indefinitely, and the arena’s security chief has been fired, executive chairman and owner James Dolan said Friday.
The moves come two days after Oakley was forcibly removed from a Knicks game and arrested.
Dolan, speaking during The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York 98.7 FM, said the policy regarding Oakley wasn’t necessarily a lifetime ban but that the Knicks needed to keep the Garden “a place that’s comfortable and safe.”
Dolan said Oakley was verbally abusive in front of fans “in a nasty way.”
“With racial overtones, sexual overtones,” Dolan said. “Stuff they should never hear.”
Dolan said the firing of Frank Benedetto, the senior vice president for security of MSG, was related to the Oakley incident.
“That was just a situation where the person didn’t work out and this was probably the last straw,” Dolan said in the radio interview. “We’re obviously looking at everything that we did here along the way and what happened. That’s one of the casualties.”
Dolan said MSG staff reported Oakley appeared to be impaired.
“He may have a problem with alcohol,” Dolan said. “We don’t know.”
Oakley has refuted the Knicks’ version of events. He thanked his supporters via Twitter on Friday night, saying he would hold a news conference next week.
I love NYC I LOVE the Knicks that you for all your love .. I will be holding a Press conference next week Let’s go Knicks
— Charles Oakley (@CharlesOakley34) February 11, 2017
I want thank all in players and pass NBA players as well as family and friends for all your love and support
— Charles Oakley (@CharlesOakley34) February 11, 2017
“They got cameras following me all the way down to my seat,” Oakley said in an interview with Fox 5 New York. “I didn’t get up until they walked over to me. So it can always [be] a story after a story, you know how it goes. PR stuff. But I’m not looking for PR. I just want to be treated right.”
Oakley, 53, was a…