Rocky return for ex-Knicks star

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Charles Oakley maintains he did nothing wrong before he was surrounded by Madison Square Garden security officials.

Something has happened, though, to turn him from popular player to persona non grata within his former franchise.

Oakley Thursday blamed his strained relationship with the New York Knicks and owner James Dolan for the altercation that led to his ejection and arrest from the Knicks’ 119-115 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

Oakley said during an ESPN Radio interview that he had been in his seat for just a few minutes when he was surrounded by security, denying that they approached him after he shouted at Dolan.

“Now I’m four rows from this guy, so I’m going to walk in this place and just start hollering, ‘James Dolan! James Dolan!’ I mean, that’s embarrassing, man. I did not do none of that,” Oakley said. “I didn’t know the man was sitting in front of me at first until they walked over there.”

Oakley said he has been told that Dolan must be informed by security whenever he is in the arena, and that MSG staff follows him when he leaves his seat to go the bathroom.

But the Knicks said he was causing trouble Wednesday even before security reached his seat.

“There are dozens of security staff, employees and NYPD that witnessed Oakley’s abusive behavior,” the team said in a statement. “It started when he entered the building and continued until he was arrested and left the building.”

Oakley was charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of criminal trespass. He is accused of striking one security guard in the face with a closed fist, and when two other people tried to intervene, both were pushed and received cuts.

He is due in court April 11.