James Dolan and former New York Knicks fan favorite Charles Oakley are still tangled up in a legal battle, and one of the greatest players in franchise history is calling for them to bury the hatchet.
Oakley had his civil lawsuit against the Knicks dismissed last month, but he is currently going through the appeals process. When asked about the situation during an appearance on ESPN Radio’s “The Bart and Hahn Show” on Wednesday, Patrick Ewing said he wishes Dolan and Oakley would sort out their differences.
“Whatever is going on with him and Mr. Dolan, like I’ve said before, it’s something that needs to stop,” Ewing said, as transcribed by SNY’s Scott Thompson. “He’s one of the best players that I’ve played with. He’s a part of the Knicks’ history. He and Mr. Dolan need to get in a room somewhere and figure that out.”
Ewing, who is the head coach at Georgetown, has maintained a good relationship with Dolan. The Hall of Famer did not want to share his thoughts on Oakley calling Madison Square Garden a “plantation” after Spike Lee had a public spat with the Knicks recently, though Ewing had nothing but high praise for Oakley as a former teammate.
“Charles Oakley was one of my best teammates. He was an enforcer. I enjoyed playing with him,” Ewing said. “I have nothing but respect for him. That’s all I want to say about that.”
Oakley’s lawsuit against Dolan stems from an incident in February 2017 in which Oakley was escorted from Madison Square Garden and arrested. He was seen getting into a confrontation with security guards after he allegedly criticized Dolan in what the team described as a “highly inappropriate and abusive manner.”
It doesn’t really matter who is it fault for the feuds that have developed between Dolan, former Knicks players and prominent fans. The press that the franchise gets from it is embarrassing, which is likely why Ewing wants to see Dolan and Oakley work things out.
