Knicks Daily Roundup 3/4: Spike Lee vs. James Dolan
-The Knicks have gone zero days since their last nonsense. After news broke that Spike Lee was asked to leave Madison Square Garden during last night's game against the Rockets, the Knicks quickly said that the issue was defused by James Dolan. However, Lee went on First Take this morning and told his side of the story.
You can read all about the situation by our own Howard Megdal here, and listen to his thoughts here on SI Now. Lee claims that he entered the arena with his ticket through the employee entrance as he always does. While in the elevator, security approached him and explained that the Garden's policy had changed, and that Lee had to leave the building and re-enter through a different entrance. When Lee refused to do so, security then said they would escort him back to his seat. James Dolan met with Lee later on, but apparently, nothing was resolved.
The Knicks PR department came out with a statement disputing Lee's words, saying he was creating a "false controversy" and was asked to use a different entrance multiple times. They even included a picture (that may have been shot on an iPhone 4) of Lee and Dolan shaking hands at the game. Lee then spoke to Sopan Deb of The New York Times and said the statement was a lie, and that he was never told about the entrance policy change.
It appears both sides have an argument. Lee seems to be making quite a fuss about being asked to use a different entrance, a relatively inconsequential request from the Knicks. On the other hand, Lee is the most dedicated celebrity fan the Knicks have, and there were better ways to handle this and relay the information to him. When you combine this incident with Charles Oakley getting kicked out of the Garden a few years ago, it continues to add to the negative public perception of the Knicks and Dolan, whether that's fair or not. Lee said he will not be back at the Garden this season.
The Knicks got a new team president and arguably their best win of the season, and yet the Lee drama will likely overshadow it all. Why can't Knicks fans have nice things?
-Moving on to a positive note, the Knicks' young players are starting to percolate, as the great Walt Frazier would say. New York's prized rookie R.J. Barrett has began to assert himself, averaging 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 50% shooting since the All-Star Break. Our own Lauren Russell talks about the rise of R.J., a storyline that Knicks fans would be wise to pay attention to as we hit the home stretch.
Mitchell Robinson has also been showing off what he can do, leading to Rockets' center and former Knick Tyson Chandler bestowing heavy praise on the second-year big man. Robinson has recorded a double double in three of his last four games.
Now more than ever, Knicks' fans desperately want to grasp onto their younger players for some sort of hope. You could say it's one of the first real opportunities for these kids to prove themselves. The Knicks hope they deliver.
