The Knicks Brought Latrell Sprewell And Other Ex-Knicks Courtside Amid The Charles Oakley Mess

Knicks owner James Dolan is in the midst of a public battle with former Knicks legend Charles Oakley that began Wednesday when Oakley got into an altercation with Madison Square Garden security. Oakley has denied the allegations that he antagonized Dolan, but Dolan has remained steadfast in his accusations and even went on New York radio on Friday to announce Oakley had been banned from the Garden.

In the middle of all the commotion and public backlash from fans and NBA players against Dolan and the Knicks, the team played the Spurs on Sunday and in an effort to win back the fans, Dolan brought out as many former Knicks as he could. Dolan had Larry Johnson, Bernard King and Bill Bradley sitting courtside on Sunday afternoon.

However, the one that made the most waves, and the one that felt the most petty, was Latrell Sprewell.

Sprewell and Dolan have had a long-standing feud, much like Dolan and Oakley, but the Knicks owner found a way to squash that beef and get Sprewell to sit with him courtside. The Knicks made a big deal out of Sprewell’s return, posting pictures and videos to Twitter in honor of his return to the Garden.

It’s an all-time petty move by Dolan, but one that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Rather than try to mend fences with Oakley, he is looking to divert attention from the ban by bringing Sprewell back.

As for how Knicks fans felt about the whole situation, it left most feeling uneasy. They’re happy to see Sprewell back, but not like this. For proof, Turtle expressed this conundrum on Twitter.

You’re not alone, Jerry.