Charles Oakley No Longer Banned From Madison Square Garden: Report

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Charles Oakley is welcome once again from Madison Square Garden, signaling an end to what was once called a lifetime ban from the arena after a mere three days. The news was first reported by ESPN reporter Mike Wise.

Wise claimed that a source close to Oakley texted him and said that Oakley will once again be allowed inside Madison Square Garden, where he played 10 seasons for the Knicks. Oakley had been banned from the arena after getting arrested for a scuffle with three security guards last week while attending a Knicks game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Oakley was charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of criminal trespassing, an NYPD spokesman told Patch.

On Monday night Oakley and Knicks Owner James Dolan met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and basketball great Michael Jordan in an attempt to mend their feud.

According to a statement from NBA Commissioner Silver the meeting seemed to go well:

“It is beyond disheartening to see situations involving members of the NBA family like the one that occurred at Madison Square Garden this past week. In an effort to find a path forward, New York Knicks owner Jim Dolan, Charles Oakley, and I met today at the league office, along with Michael Jordan, who participated by phone.

“Both Mr. Oakley and Mr. Dolan were apologetic about the incident and subsequent comments, and their negative impact on the Knicks organization and the NBA. Mr. Dolan expressed his hope that Mr. Oakley would return to MSG as his guest in the near future.

“I appreciate the efforts of Mr. Dolan, Mr. Oakley and Mr. Jordan to work towards a resolution of this matter.”

Beyond disheartening? Try being a Knicks fan.

This story will be updated.

Photo by Bryan Horowitz via Flickr/Creative Commons