Knicks Owner James Dolan: 'Hell, Yeah,' I Called Fan An 'A--hole'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Knicks owner James Dolan admits he got into a heated, profanity-laced exchange with a fan outside Madison Square Garden before Tuesday night's win over the Bulls.
Mike Hamersky, a Knicks fan and lawyer from Astoria, Queens, told Deadspin he was drinking a beer while waiting for his friend to finish a cigarette when he noticed Dolan walking past him headed for a waiting limo.
Hamersky said he shouted at Dolan, "Sell the team, Jim!"
Dolan then turned around, asked who yelled and got in Hamersky's face.
"What if I showed up at your office and called you an a--hole? Because you are an a--hole!" Dolan said to Hamersky.
Dolan confirmed the events to Deadspin, saying, "Hell, yeah, I did!"
He told the website he believes he also told Hamersky: "What if I told you, 'You suck at your job?'"
Dolan accused Hamersky of being intoxicated and instructed his security detail to not allow his heckler into the building. Hamersky said he did not have enough time to get drunk because he had just come from teaching a law class at Fordham.
Hamersky said he walked away from Dolan to prevent the situation from escalating. He said security guards followed him and his friend for several blocks, but they eventually lost them and entered the Garden with no problems.
It's not the first time Dolan has exhibited his thin skin.
In 2015, the Knicks owner responded to an email from a critical fan by saying the man was a "hateful mess" and an "alcoholic maybe." He added that the fan should "start rooting for the Nets because the Knicks (don't) want you."
In February, Dolan briefly banned former Knick Charles Oakley from the Garden after Oakley physically accosted security guards who were trying to remove him from the arena at Dolan's request. While accounts of what led up to the altercation differ, the Knicks said Oakley engaged in "abusive behavior" toward Dolan.
