Sunday marked the 17th anniversary of Chris Childs famously landing a swift two-piece on Kobe Bryant’s chin, which, one might argue, represented more fight than what the Knicks have churned out this entire woebegone season.
Sunday was also the day the Knicks chose to honor their 1999 NBA Finals squad, and Chris Childs was not among the eight alumni who participated in the first-half ceremony.
Why wasn’t he invited? The former point guard believes it may have something to do with supporting Charles Oakley.
“I have no clue,” Childs told the Daily News, echoing what he said earlier to SNY.tv. “I think it might be about Oak, but I haven’t heard anything from the Knicks about that. Nobody told me they had a problem.
“My father told me that if you have an issue with somebody, you should tell them. So if that’s the case, it’s petty.”
Childs said he spoke recently with John Starks and Larry Johnson, who are both employed by the Knicks. But he didn’t even know about the ’99 reunion until being informed by his son through a reporter.
Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Charlie Ward, Marcus Camby, Herb Williams, Kurt Thomas and Jeff Van Gundy (who was working Sunday’s game against the Celtics for ABC) were all part of the ceremony held during the first half of the game against the Celtics.
“It would have been nice to see those guys and it would’ve been nice for the fans,” Childs said.
Not long after Oakley was arrested and banned at the Garden, Childs told the News that he probably wouldn’t have accepted an invitation back at the Garden, as Sprewell and other Knicks alumni did in a transparent move to Oakley.
He was hoping for a reconciliation with Oakley first.
“I don’t think I would’ve gone at that time. It would’ve had to have been later on after some of it settled down,” Childs said. “But I would’ve asked (Dolan), would he be willing to sit down with Oak, with me being there?”
Dolan, in fact, did meet with Oakley and lifted the ban, but the former power forward has resisted returning to the Garden because he felt disrespected. Among other things, Dolan suggested Oakley has a drinking problem.
A couple days later, Dolan flaunted several former Knicks as guests at the Garden — including Sprewell, Johnson and Bernard King. Sprewell’s inclusion was the most noteworthy because he had been feuding with Dolan.
“I can’t respect Sprewell,” Oakley told ESPN. “These guys were flown in town to make (Dolan) look good. I can’t respect those guys no more.”
Coincidentally, Sprewell and Oakley both signed up to play in Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league.
