This was an olive branch by Dolan and Oak spit on it....Oak should have taken it....but there is no immediate $$$ with it...and in his mind he is doing Dolan a favor...
Maybe it was a "scheme", because when push comes to shove, I'd say no Oak is not of that echelon.
But I'm kind of impressed Dolan made that offer. I'm even more impressed that we didn't hear about this from a leak or other anonymous source...came straight from Oak.
I’m not sure I believe oak is being truthful. Dolan is a petty petulant dude but I find i hard to believe he’d extend this to placate oak.
These two are dug in! Oak seems to be enjoying the attention this “feud” brings him.
Nalod wrote:I’m not sure I believe oak is being truthful. Dolan is a petty petulant dude but I find i hard to believe he’d extend this to placate oak.
These two are dug in! Oak seems to be enjoying the attention this “feud” brings him.
If that were the case (maybe it is) and Oak is bsing in order to make Dolan look desperate or himself look cool for turning it down...I don't think it's having his desired effect...
Even Oakley knows he doesn’t belong up in the rafters. Honestly who the hell goes to see rafters anyways.
In thinking this further...this could be Rose & WWW....I could see them in Dolan's ear on this.....
Was in favor of Oak getting his number retired long ago. Not now. Oakley shouldnt have been treated the way he was at the Garden. Its also clear (to me) that the man likes his off-court drama. Going back to his playing days. Drama is the word I would use to describe Oakley's post-playing career. Havent seen much of anything else. Which is why I dont want to see his number retired anymore.
Oakley was just as important to the 90s Knicks success as Ewing IMO. The numbers dont back that up. But the space Oakley created for Ewing to work doesnt show up in the numbers either. The boxing out. Oakley did a lot of the grunt work. Fans used to sigh whenever he wound up to shoot. Worked on his shot, became a decent shooter, mostly from the corner. Put his body on the line like few big men I can remember back then. Oakley was key to becoming a contender.
Unfortunately Oak seems only too happy to flush the good stuff he did, to keep this beef going. Or at least declining to participate.
If Oakley actually did decline a chance to have his name up in the rafters, and the opportunity to quash this beef, and move on. Then he's a fool. If it didnt happen, he's a fool for making the story up.
Either way, I wish the media would ignore Oakley, until he has done something worth reporting. Not more Drama.
MaTT4281 wrote:Nalod wrote:I’m not sure I believe oak is being truthful. Dolan is a petty petulant dude but I find i hard to believe he’d extend this to placate oak.
These two are dug in! Oak seems to be enjoying the attention this “feud” brings him.
If that were the case (maybe it is) and Oak is bsing in order to make Dolan look desperate or himself look cool for turning it down...I don't think it's having his desired effect...
IM baffled that Dolan would offer this. I’m baffled that oak would bring this out.
to be fair context is everything. the interview referenced by Berman:
https://megaphone.link/BNI9069396101
I don’t have time to run thru this but I’d be curious if anyone can extract something from the statement.
Yeah, please retire Oak. Just don't retire his number, raise a banner that says "Airball".
Better yet, just give him a seat up in the rafters. With a private entrance.
There are numbers that should be retired well ahead of Oak.
If long ago then its way before Leon and WWW. curious if MSG has a response if so is it "measured".
If long ago then why bring it up now?
Its not like Oak made a press conference of it, it was during a Blogcast with James Posey in February. I suppose someone bought it to Bermans attention and its his job to take the quote to the public.
MSG was wrong the way they treated him but he was in the wrong for bringing it on. Seems as if he yearns for confrontation. Cheating in casinos, fights at the pool in vegas, lobby at Oracle arena during finals, and MSG with Dolan.
Dude should have cashed it in with WWE when it was all the rage. He had the personality! Very likable warrior in many respects in need of another battlefield.
Vmart wrote:Even Oakley knows he doesn’t belong up in the rafters. Honestly who the hell goes to see rafters anyways.
Right...Is he kidding me..
I voted No, and I liked Oakley but he was never a very skilled all-time player.
GustavBahler wrote:Was in favor of Oak getting his number retired long ago. Not now.
Wanted to write my opinion on the matter, but have read your message and it pretty much sums up exactly what I was thinking about too.
Love Oak but he is not on that level.
Nah oak. 😅 if the team would have won in 94 maybe 🤔😁
If a championship banner was up there for 92-93 and 93-94
I would consider Starks oak and Ewing definetly.
The guys in the rafters are HOF. Oak had a hell of a 10 year tenure here and at age 30 did make an allstar team!!!
No doubt great wingman for ewing. HOF fame is the high watermark.
Melo is HOF material but the knicks did not accomplish much in his tenure despite his achievements individually.
Bernard King was here just two years of his HOF career. Melo 7 years. Its a worthy debate. He played 564 games in 8 seasons in Denver, 412 here over 7.
Stats were very similar and he was a 7 time allstar here. Perhaps he was deserving of one earlier in Denver and got one from reputation in NY. Not the first player to be honored as such.
Im on the fence with no strong opinion.
Oakley was my all time favorite Knick until I served him as a bartender. Anyway, as great as he was and as important as he was to those Knick teams, he just isn’t in that stratosphere.
You have to be a first or second option on a championship team with historical stats to back up your game.
If you don’t win a championship it was not due to no fault of yours lol (bad front office or a goat stood in your way)
A lot of our historic players are on a honorable mention list. Lol
They should retire Eddy Curry's number instead. Also happens to be 34.
If Bernard's number is not retired, no way Oakley's should be.
