Garden fans say thanks as Oakley returns as Raptor “Ernie [Grunfeld] may not be a bad guy, but he made the deal, that’s all that people remember. What can you do? Fans are upset by it. Some things will never go away.”CHARLES OAKLEYCharles Oakley plans everything. He leaves little to chance. The suit he wears on game day always has the opposing team’s color somewhere within the threads.
Not last night, though. Oakley wore a gray pinstriped number.
Asked where the Knick colors were, the Raptor said, “Not tonight. This is strictly business.”
Oakley had made his statement. A little later he added, “This is a corporate day. This is for the corporate fans.”
And when Oakley led the Raptors on the court at 7:18 p.m. he received a standing ovation by the early arrivals, heartfelt and spontaneous and much louder than the polite applause the Knicks received when they took the court a minute later.
The Knicks wanted to honor Oakley with a video tribute, but did not do it before the game, a strange move indeed. When Oakley was introduced at 7:38 in the pregame introductions, he received a roaring standing ovation from the crowd. As he came out to the foul line he gave the Oakley bounce and a warm wave back to the fans.
Oakley’s reception was much louder than any given to the Knicks during their introductions. During the singing of the national anthem, fans yelled out “Oakley,” and one group held out a three-lettered sign that received a cheer. “OAK!” it read.
As for the videotape montage at halftime, Oakley said, “Why would I want something done at halftime? I’ll be in the locker room with my team. I can’t see it.”
Asked if he would cry like Mark Messier, Oakley said, “I’m 6-[foot]-9, he’s only 6-4. He won a Cup for them. All I did was good for a glass of water.”
His cup was never half-empty, though. During his 10 years with the Knicks, Oakley always gave his best.
“He watched my back for 10 years,” Patrick Ewing said.
“This is a first-class organization,” Oakley said of the Raptors.
Oakley did not shake any Knick hands before the tip, and when the ball went up he got the tip. He took the first shot and missed an 18-footer off the front rim. His man, Kurt Thomas, then went down and scored the first basket on a short jumper.
Oakley picked up his first rebound at the 9:06 mark and went into the stands for the first time 15 seconds later, causing a Knick turnover, along the baseline.
His first serious pick came against Charlie Ward at the 6:59 mark, and less than a minute later, Ewing rejected an Oakley shot in the lane. At 4:38 Oakley buried a trademark spot-up jumper. At 1:40 he lowered his head and drove the lane and scored on Marcus Camby.
As for the decision to trade Oakley for Camby – a trade that left a bitter taste in Oakley’s mouth and one he has routinely criticized Knick GM Ernie Grunfeld about – Oakley said this before the game:
“Ernie may not be a bad guy, but he made the deal, that’s all that people remember. What can you do? Fans are upset by it. Some things will never go away.”
When asked how it felt to be home, Oakley said, “This ain’t my home. We’ve been locked out for four months, it’s been an eight-month turnaround. Today is a big day. Better get it started and get the show on the road. I guess I’m the opening act for Michael Jackson. I hope when the final score is posted, we’re up five.
“I want to give the fans a good show,” Oakley added. “A lot of Hall of Famers have been traded in their career. I don’t know if I’ll be in the Hall of Fame, but … I’m just trying to do my job.”
Oakley has had a busy two days, getting updated on all his businesses and friends. He had a quiet dinner Monday night at Bravo Gianni in Manhattan. The restaurant is a popular hangout with Oakley, so much so that they’ve named an appetizer after – a chicken dish with rice and peas called Chicken Oakley.
He had about 20 close friends at the game last night. Earlier in the day Oakley went to shoot-around, and spent most of the day in his hotel room. He had his hair done in a twist style the day before. After the game, he was going to go to his Garden hangout, Cafe 31.
Including Oakley, there are four ex-Knicks on the Raptors.
“That’s the only team they can make a trade with,” Oakley cracked. Later a Knick employee came in to greet Oakley. The employee was wearing black. Oakley, always with an eye for fashion, complimented the choice of clothes and noted the black color.
He smiled and said, “Better save that for the playoffs.”