Charles Oakley has a bone to pick with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Oakley, 59, appeared on the “Showtime with Coop” podcast with former Laker Michael Cooper earlier this week, and relayed his belief that he was snubbed from receiving any special treatment during the NBA All-Star Game in his hometown of Cleveland last year.
“I played 19 years, and they came to Cleveland [for] All-Star [Weekend last year]. They didn’t give me one ticket,” Oakley said.
“I had six events. They didn’t give me no help, no T-shirt, no keychains. They had 25 events. They didn’t invite me to nothing.
“All they care about is celebrities sitting courtside for a photo for them. They don’t care about us. That’s what’s so disrespecting.
“In advance, I called [the NBA] about what was going on in Cleveland that weekend, and they still didn’t show me no kind of love. I did it anyway. I took it out of my pocket, because the next time All-Star’s in Cleveland, I probably won’t be here to see it.”
Oakley hypothesized that he might have been getting the cold shoulder from the league offices because of the incident at Madison Square Garden in which he was forcibly ejected by security in 2017.
“They stuck it to me because of what happened in New York or something,” Oakley said.
“It was a total turn-off. When I see the commissioner, I’m gonna give him a mouthful.”
Oakley’s assault lawsuit against Madison Square Garden and Knicks owner James Dolan stemming from the 2017 incident is still ongoing.
Oakley’s NBA career spanned from 1986-2004, with the Bulls, Knicks, Raptors, Wizards and Rockets.
Ten of his 19 seasons were spent with the Knicks, in an era remembered very fondly by the team’s fans.
