Charles Oakley does not do quiet. The former New York Knicks enforcer, 61, has reignited his feud with Patrick Ewing in the most direct way possible, calling his former teammate and franchise icon a coward in a public interview that has Knicks fans choosing sides.
The comments came during a sit-down where Oakley was asked about his relationship with several former teammates from the 90s Knicks teams that made multiple Finals runs. Most of the answers were the typical mix of love and shade. The Ewing answer was something else entirely.
Oakley accused Ewing of staying silent when he was banned from Madison Square Garden by James Dolan in 2017. He felt his longtime running mate should have stood up for him publicly, given the years they spent battling together on those Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy teams. Ewing’s silence still stings.
“Coward” is a strong word for a man you once shared a locker room with for a decade. But Oakley has never softened his approach. He’s been the same blunt, no-filter personality for 40 years, and his beef with Dolan has only made him sharper.
Ewing, 63, has not publicly responded. That tracks with his entire post-playing career. Big Pat has always been a quiet, private guy who avoids public drama and prefers to let his Hall of Fame resume speak for itself. He’s not getting into a back-and-forth with Oak.
The Knicks organization is stuck in the middle. Both men are central figures in franchise history. Ewing’s number is in the rafters. Oakley remains one of the most beloved enforcers in NBA history. The team has tried to repair its relationship with Oakley over the past few years, but Dolan ownership keeps complicating things.
Here’s what Oakley deserves credit for. He has consistently held the franchise accountable for how it treated him, and his willingness to say what other former players whisper has made him a folk hero to a generation of Knicks fans. He gets a standing ovation every time he shows up to a game.
Where the criticism lands is on Ewing. The big man has never publicly acknowledged the Oakley incident, and his refusal to engage feels deliberate. Whether that’s loyalty to Dolan, professional caution, or just personal preference is anyone’s guess. Oakley has decided what it is.
The timing makes it stranger. The Knicks are in the middle of the NBA Finals against the Spurs. Madison Square Garden is hosting Game 3 next week. The franchise is closer to a championship than it has been in 50 years. This is supposed to be a celebration. Instead, the old wounds are being ripped open again.
If Ewing eventually responds, this becomes a real story. If he stays silent, Oakley moves on to the next teammate he has unfinished business with. Either way, the Knicks need to find a way to bring these two together before they end up at Hall of Fame ceremonies refusing to share a stage.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
