Amid Oakley controversy, Knicks bring Sprewell to MSG

After banning one franchise icon from Madison Square Garden earlier this week, the New York Knicks brought another one back on Sunday.

Latrell Sprewell hadn't been invited back to MSG as a guest since being traded by the Knicks in 2003, and subsequently feuding with owner James Dolan. He was in attendance for Sunday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, sitting next to Dolan and two other Knicks legends in Larry Johnson and Bernard King.

(Courtesy: Action Images)

The Knicks also welcomed Sprewell back with a video tribute memorializing the five seasons he spent with the team, which included a run to the Finals in 1999.

The Knicks have been mired in a public relations mess since forcibly and publicly removing Charles Oakley from MSG on Wednesday night. Oakley was later arrested and charged with assault for fighting with the security guards who were trying to remove him.

Oakley said he did nothing to merit his removal, while Dolan insisted Oakley had been behaving belligerently and abusing the arena staff, and suggested he might have an alcohol problem. Current and former players subsequently came out in support of Oakley, as did players' union boss Michele Roberts, and the MSG crowd.

In his courtside seat at Sunday's game, famed Knicks superfan Spike Lee donned an Oakley jersey.