Here's How Michael Jordan Helped Squash the Beef Between Charles Oakley and Knicks Owner James Dolan
The sight of Charles Oakley fighting with Madison Square Garden security and being dragged off the floor during a New York Knicks' game last week was one of the most-disturbing scenes in recent NBA history — especially when you consider he gave his heart and soul to the franchise as its hard-nosed enforcer from 1988-1998.
The fact that the former power forward was arrested and charged with three counts of assault and that the Knicks, under the ownership of James Dolan, said that they hope that Oak "gets some help soon" only made it worse.
So, something had to give, right? And that something turned out to be an intervention led by Michael Jordan, Oak's friend and former teammate and fellow NBA team owner like Dolan.
Jordan and NBA commissioner Adam Silver stepped in yesterday to squash the beef and prevent the situation from escalating any further.
Silver had Oakley and Dolan came into the league's office Monday, while Jordan joined them via phone.
The results following the explosive scene at the Garden last Wednesday night? Well, Silver said both men were "apologetic" over tarnishing the image of the Knicks and the NBA, with Dolan expressing hope that Oakley appears as his guest at MSG in the near future.
However, in an interview with the New York Daily News later in the day, Oakley was still hurt over Dolan and the Knicks intimating last week that he's an alcoholic following the scrap with MSG security.
Oakley told the New York City tabloid that his sit down with Dolan would still make it hard to make an immediate resolution, only because "some of the things that were said about me hurt."
It doesn't help Dolan's image that he had former Knicks Latrell Sprewell and Larry Johnson sit with him courtside during the team's home game Sunday to seemingly spite Oak.
But perhaps Dolan and Oakley merely sitting down can lead to something positive in the future.
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