New York Knicks film director and superfan Spike Lee criticized the security at Madison Square Garden for harassing Patrick Ewing, the Georgetown basketball coach who was involved in an incident earlier this week.
Ewing, a Knicks legend whose shirt hangs on the rafters of the world’s most famous arena, said he was “approached” by security on Thursday as he prepared to coach Georgetown at the Big East Tournament.
Lee has had similar problems with MSG security before, and vented on ESPN First take that upsetting Ewing in the Garden was unforgivable. Lee’s incident occurred when he was asked to use another entrance to the arena instead of the entrance to the official he claimed to have used for 28 years.
“I am not blaming this [James] Dolan, ”said Lee, referring to the owner of Knicks, Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, and the executive chairman of MSG Networks. “There has to be something just wrong at Madison Square Garden. Can any of you imagine Derek Jeter being prevented from entering Yankee Stadium? Magic Johnson being prevented from entering the Staples Center? Is Michael Jordan – GOAT – being prevented from entering the United Center? WTF! “
Lee added: “Indignity, disrespect, even though I am a boy born after Patrick was in the Knicks’ glory years, he is 2.10 meters tall!” Lee said. “And you tell me that there is no one nearby, because Patrick is going through the metal detector to say, ‘Hey, you, this is Patrick. Let it pass. ‘How does it happen? I do not understand. This is not going to happen at Yankee Stadium. There has to be some common sense. “
Ewing is not the first Knicks star to have a fight with the team. Ewing’s former teammate Charles Oakley was forcibly removed from the MSG in 2017 and arrested.