Charles Oakley arrested, charged with assault after altercation at game

Former New York Knicks great Charles Oakley was arrested and charged with three counts of assault following an altercation in the stands near team owner James Dolan at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

The incident occurred during a stoppage in play as was shooting free throws in the first quarter against the visiting LA Clippers. A police source told ESPN that Oakley had purchased a seat a few rows behind Dolan and was making comments at the Knicks owner, who eventually had security escort him from the arena.


"I was there for four minutes," Oakley told the New York Daily News, moments after being released from Midtown South Precinct shortly past midnight ET. "I didn't say anything to him. I swear on my mother. They came over and wanted to know why I was sitting there. I bought the ticket. I said why do you guys keep staring at me. Then they asked me to leave. And I said I'm not leaving."



Oakley made similar comments in an interview posted to the Instagram account of a New York restaurant early Friday morning.

"I'm a Knicks fan. I played here for 10 years. I love the Knicks. I love New York," he said. "I wish 'em all the luck and success on the basketball court. I don't know why I'm not welcome into the Garden."

Knicks president Phil Jackson came out to try to calm down Oakley, who was yelling about Dolan and telling security he wasn't going to move as they handcuffed him outside the tunnel leading to the court. At one point, Oakley was on the ground surrounded by police and Madison Square Garden security.

Fans chanted "Oakley! Oakley!" in support of the popular former power forward, as players from both teams turned to watch.

"I stopped, and then there was an inbounds play on the side. I turned around just in time as he was handing it to him, and then there was a foul. I walked back to catch the third, fourth and fifth rounds," Clippers forward Blake Griffin