LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul take Oakley's side in Knicks fiasco
Three of the four members of the high-profile Banana Boat crew support Oakley
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1 min read
UPDATE: LeBron James made his feelings even more clear after the Cavs' 118-109 loss over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday:
LeBron gave a generic statement rather than take questions. About a minute later he added, "Oh I missed one, Charles Oakley for President"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 10, 2017
The New York Knicks may have doubled down on their allegations against Charles Oakley, but they do not have public opinion on their side. Oakley not only has the support of a great many Knicks fans, he has the support of stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul. The three of them, all close friends with New York star Carmelo Anthony, expressed their displeasure with Oakley being ejected from Madison Square Garden and arrested on Wednesday.
Paul took issue with the rude and condescending way the Knicks' publicly encouraged Oakley to "get some help."
Hope that he gets some help soon? Not the right way to portray Oak...always had my back and the realest person our league has seen #UncleOak
— Chris Paul (@CP3) February 9, 2017
Wade warned other players that their organizations could turn on them after years of service, encouraging them to "#StayWoke."
James called him a "legend."
This is the most direct example of how the dysfunction in New York affects the franchise's standing in the league. Players privately discuss all of the league's drama just like fans do, but here are three future Hall of Famers who have no qualms with calling the organization out publicly for how it treated a former player. The Knicks have not earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this sort of dispute, and it would be foolish to think this doesn't matter when it comes to free agency.
