He’s gotta have it.
Spike Lee is as New York as hot dogs, steam from grids, Central Park or Coney Island, but how about these Big Apples? He’s as Knicks’ as Ewing’s sweat, Walt Frazier’s pimp strut and cadence, or bocker glory that the Mecca Madison Square Garden faithful still hope to see with this rotten franchise.
And let’s not forget Oakley brand toughness Chuck.
So why are they showing him the door?
Or the wrong one?
I know this all seems like walking distance to some, but to others it smacks of racism. I know Spike Lee has had beef with everybody in the who’s who of Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino, the ‘Green Book’ movie that wasn’t his cup of tea). But so has James Dolan. How he treated Knicks’ legend, New York forever through and through Charles Oakley last year was beyond pathetic…it was tragic.
It hurt to watch. I can only imagine what it did to the man himself as he was manhandled and escorted out the building he helped build like the way he used to treat offensive players he defended.
But why did his team not come to his?
I’m not saying James Dolan is like Donald Sterling, but this owner like another Donald needs to be the furthest away from a Spalding right now. Not one of the franchise cornerstones sitting courtside like the unofficial Sixth Man no more, for at least this season in protest. Leading a charge for the usual sold out despite the s### show M.S.G. who had their lowest attendance turnout in an unlucky for them 13 years, following the ‘BlackKklansman’ directors worst treatment since the Oscars passed up his Best Picture.
Now Dolan has treated him like a parasite or like he did another Knick icon Oakley, this is another black eye for the bruised big apple of the Knicks’. The Mecca is turning into the crapper as to add insult injury to the Knicks’ PR team tweeted that Lee’s accusations of mistreatment was “laughable”.
Don’t make me.
This lack of understanding and decency is what makes one of the NBA’s most famous franchises (now for all the wrong reasons) the actual laughing stock of the league.
Spike Lee is arguably the NBA’s most famous fan, let alone the stinkin’ Knicks’. Even more than Lakers Hollywood favourite ‘Shining’ in those sunglasses courtside, Jack Nicholson. But here’s the thing Johnny. Some may say this is all trite over something as pretentious as a VIP entrance, but this is what Spike has been doing for decades now. Besides Jack knows this type of trade. He was probably moved about the Forum Club in underground tunnels back in the day like he was Jack Kennedy. But Spike can’t continue to use the employee one?
Spike Lee has been with the Knicks’ through thick and thin. Attending almost every game. And this is how they repay him? By showing him the door and harassing him? It’s time to do the right thing and keep this man inside. Have they not learnt from the disgrace of the Charles Oakley situation? Many in The Garden will blame last nights attendance on Corona concerns, but the Knicks’ faithful have put up with worse. We know what the real virus is and it’s time to nip it at the bud. The M.S.G. faithful have just shown where their loyalties lie. It’s time the Knicks’ did the same.
There’s no orange and blue without the ‘He Got Game’ of Ewing, Oakley or Spike. What the hell is a James Dolan?
Time for the Knicks to do work like a heaven sent Kobe used to do in the Mecca of the World’s Most Famous Arena.
