Report: Charles Oakley banned for life from Madison Square Garden

Charles Oakley will never be allowed back in Madison Square Garden.

Knicks legend Charles Oakley has been banned from Madison Square Garden for life, ESPN Radio host Michael Kay reports. 

“Charles Oakley will never be allowed to enter MSG again, even if he purchases a ticket,” Kay said on his show Friday afternoon. 

Kay interviewed Knicks owner James Dolan later in Friday’s show. Dolan said the punishment is “not necessarily a lifetime ban.”

Dolan also said Oakley has a “problem with anger” and “may have a problem with alcohol.” In an email to a fan obtained by Deadspin in 2015, Dolan wrote, “You most likely have made your family miserable. Alcoholic maybe.” Dolan himself is a reformed alcoholic. 

Oakley was arrested at Wednesday night’s Knicks game after an altercation with arena security. The incident reportedly began when Oakley heckled Dolan, with whom he has a longstanding feud. 

Dolan said Friday that Oakley’s comments to MSG security had “racial overtones” and “sexual overtones.”

NBA Players Association executive director Michele Roberts tweeted a message of support for Oakley. 

Painful to believe that my last image of Oak at MSG is him dragged out of the arena. Is this how we remember our Legends? #NoBan

— Michele Roberts (@MRobertsNBPA) February 10, 2017

Oakley, 53, played 10 seasons with the Knicks from 1988 to 1998. He has been upset with Knicks management that he has not been invited to participate in any of the team’s 70th anniversary celebrations.