Besides the prominent sports figures that have already contested the ejection and lifetime ban of New York Knicks star Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden, now politicians are putting their two cents in.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams charged in a report released yesterday that MSG security staff “basically targeted” Mr. Oakley prior to his arrest, comparing the incident to the brutal death of Eric Garner at the hands of the NYPD in 2014.
“Every time I fly first class, someone stops me to see my ticket over, , and over and over again,” Adams said. “It sends the wrong message to black boys and black leaders. Even when you sit in the most expensive seat in Madison Square Garden, you are treated in that manner. This would not have happened to Bill Bradley and Dave DeBusschere.”
Rev. Al Sharpton called for Knicks owner James Dolan to lift the ban and reinstate Oakley’s privileges as a celebrated, former Knick.
One member of the Garden’s security staff has already been terminated in connection to this incident. Dolan, Oakley and security at MSG are set to meet this week to further rectify this matter.