Report: Oakley's pals tried to call Michael Jordan to calm him down before arrest
The former Knick's friends tried to call Jordan for backup, to no avail
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
ESPN's Ian Begley reports that as Charles Oakley became more and more agitated before his ejection from Madison Square Garden and his eventual arrest on assault charges Wednesday, people with Oakley tried to call his friend Michael Jordan to calm the former Knick down.
Begley also says an eyewitness account contradicts Oakley's claim that he wasn't being disruptive before security being called.
Oakley and Knicks owner James Dolan, who was seated nearby, have a long-standing tension over how the Knicks have treated Oakley, who was at the Knicks' loss to the Clippers on Wednesday as a ticket-buying customer, not as an invitee of the team.
Oakley and Jordan, teammates on the Bulls in the 1980s and rivals in the '90s when the Knicks and Bulls faced off in the playoffs on an almost annual basis, have long been friends, and are often spotted together at various vacation spots. The stories reported in various books about their exploits are legendary.
Oakley was charged with three counts of assault and criminal trespassing Wednesday night. Since the arrest, various NBA reporters, players and other league associates have come out in support of Oakley.
