By JIHAD SHATARA

Imagine playing a bulk of your NBA career in the Mecca of basketball.

Fast forward to 2017 and imagine being kicked out of the place you called home for so long.

The Charles Oakley and James Dolan situation has become so messy. First of all, Dolan, owner of the New York Knicks, is already a not so popular figure in New York. But Dolan and team president Phil Jackson continuously put underachieving teams on the court.

The NBA veteran Oakley, retired but a huge fan favorite, gets no love from the Knicks as he describes it. And it is strange because usually organizations treat legends like Oakley with the utmost respect.

But this sage continues to play out. It started when Dolan invited many Knicks’ legends to be honored, Oakley not one of them. Since retiring, Oakley said he has had to buy his own seats on StubHub. Seriously? Imagine if the Celtics made Larry Bird buy his own seats.

Oakley was then kicked out of, banned, then reinstated into Madison Square Garden after arguing with Dolan.

The Knicks are a hot mess on the court, but from a PR standpoint, they are not looking too successful either. Charles Oakley vs. James Dolan might be one the better battles in sports right now.