For an entire generation of basketball fans, Spike Lee has been synonymous with the New York Knicks. A fixture in his courtside seat for more than 20 years, this past week, the entire NBA world took notice when Lee had what became a very public feud with the organization.
As the week progressed, the sides have shown no signs of squashing their beef, and with the Thunder making their lone visit to Madison Square Garden on Friday night, Chris Paul let it be known where he stood.
In what appeared to be somewhat of a tribute, Paul wrote “Do The Right Thing” on his sneakers before he went out and turned in a 21-point, 12-assist effort. He led the Thunder to a 126-103 victory in New York City, but still was somewhat disappointed after the contest.
Lee, who vowed to not return to Madison Square Garden for the remainder of the season, wasn’t on hand to witness the performance.
“I done known Spike for a while, man and, shoot, I had talked to Spike a couple days ago actually looking forward to him being here at the game to watch me play, cus I haven’t played here in two years. I haven’t played here — 15 years I’ve been in the league, I might have played here like eight times or something, I usually always miss this game, so I was excited to see Spike and didn’t get to see him.”
The comments from Paul and the timing of the situation are interesting because Paul’s former agent, Leon Rose, was officially named President of the New York Knicks this past week. Shortly thereafter, rumors began swirling that Rose could be inclined to seek a deal for Paul in the offseason.
At the very least, there is some affinity between the two. Paul’s comments and his tribute to Lee, however, may not necessarily endear him to Rose’s bosses at MSG.
With the win, the Thunder improved to 39-24 on the season as they look to sweep their quick three-game Eastern Conference road trip when they visit the Celtics on Sunday.
