HAIL TO THE GRIEF
Spike: Trump-like Dolan makes it hard to be a Knick fan, but he’s stayin’
When Spike Lee heard why James Dolan wouldn’t comment on George Floyd’s death or police brutality, he thought of Donald Trump.
Specifically, Lee, the most famous of Knicks fans, thought about Trump declining to pick a side when white supremacists rallied in Virginia three years ago.
“That sounds like the guy in the White House commenting on what happened in Charlottesville, that there were good guys on both sides,” Lee said Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“For me, that’s the same thing. That’s the same mentality.”
The Knicks were the last NBA team to speak or issue a statement in the wake of Floyd, an AfricanAmerican, being killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. As protests gripped New
York City, Dol- an sent an internal memo to employees, some of whom were upset by MSG’s silence, explaining that “we are not any more qualified than anyone else to offer our opinion on social matters.”
A week later, Dolan issued a brief statement supporting equality, but without mentioning Floyd, African-Americans or police brutality.
“Every one of us has a role to play in creating a more just and equal society, where there is no racism, bigotry, violence or hate,” the statement read. “We stand with all who act for positive change.”
It was viewed as a weak statement more in line with “All Lives Matter.” Lee, a Brooklyn native, teased switching allegiance to the Nets, whose home arena has become the gathering hub for protests against police brutality.
“Mr. Dolan does not make it easy for me to be a Knicks fan,” Lee said. “I grew up with Willis Reed. I was at Game 7, March 9, 1970, I was there.
“Right now, you’re seeing me, this is my office, I’m in (Fort Greene, Brooklyn). And I’m four blocks away from the Barclays Center, which, ironically, has been the meeting spot in Brooklyn for the marches, for the demonstrations. Barclays Center has been the epicenter of where to meet here, in Brooklyn.”
Still, Lee again declined an invitation to abandon the Knicks.
“My love for the orange and blue overrides everything else,” he said.
Not long before the coronavirus shutdown, Lee accused Dolan of harassment after he was approached by Garden security before a game. It sparked a feud that was played out in the media, with the Garden claiming Lee was simply asked to use the proper entrance, and Lee claiming he was targeted. A source said Lee was “viewed differently” at MSG after he publicly supported Charles Oakley, who was forcibly ejected and arrested at MSG in 2017 after a scuffle with security.
Dolan’s delayed and vague response to the social unrest has again cast his franchise in a negative light. Black men account for roughly 75% of the NBA’s players, and 87.5% of this year’s All-Stars. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, “the Knicks approval rating among players is so low right now.
“It’s devastating for their hopes to appeal to anybody and say, ‘Come play for us’ going forward,” Windhorst said.
Dolan is a friend and supporter of Trump who donated more than $300,000 to get him elected in 2016. Also, he volunteered the Rockettes — a dance group he owns — to perform at Trump’s inauguration, despite some dancers feeling uncomfortable.
“A good portion of people voted for this person,” Dolan told the dancers, according to Marie Claire. “Hopefully they will like our brand. If 1% of 1% of them come to our show, we’re going to do great.”
Defenders of Dolan point out that he has an excellent record of hiring African-Americans at high positions. Up until recently, the Knicks were the only NBA team with a black coach (David Fizdale), black team president (Steve Mills) and black GM (Scott Perry).