Charles Oakley addressed the question as to whether he believes James Dolan is racist on two different occasions on Thursday, February 16. And while he wouldn't outright attach the label to him, neither would he rule it out, affirming in one interview that he sees the New York Knicks owner on the same "level" as embattled former L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling. He also backtracked from suggesting that he knows him to be a racist, but still citing that he's "heard stuff," in a later interview.
"He's a control freak. He's got everybody in the Garden on pins and needles. The other owners know this, that's the bad thing about it ... They're going to let this end up happening like something that happened to the LA Clippers. It's that bad, but they won't talk about it. It's that bad," Oakley told Sports Illustrated's Maggie Gray. Gray then pushed referenced Sterling, who fans will recall having been forced to sell the Clippers after he was recorded making racist statements in 2014. And Oakley responded to her inquiry into whether he would compare the two owners by saying, "He's on the level. I mean, you can build a house, or you can build a pyramid. And this man has been around for a long time; I ain't heard nothing good about him."
Soon after the SI interview, TMZ caught up with Oakley, and he was again asked whether he sees Dolan heading down the path Sterling did. The former Knicks favorite admitted that he hasn't ever met Dolan and thus would not personally know, "But there's a lot of stuff going on. When people start talking about stuff over and over and over, sooner or later, you know, wait till the truth comes out," he said.
Earlier this week, Dolan and Oakley were brought together by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a meeting that involved a conference call from Michael Jordan. It had been reported that Dolan extended an olive branch to Charles by lifting the ban and saying that he looks forward to the day they can sit together and enjoy a game, but Oakley came out the gate saying he still needs time to consider the invitation. Among Oakley's grievances are the accusations the Knicks organization publicly made about him, particularly one which suggested him to be an alcoholic. Oakley reiterated his unwillingness to move past the situation at this point, stating, "Somebody's gotta step up for something that happened in the old days, and is still happening in this day in age."
Source: youtube.com
