The New York Knicks will be without their biggest fan for the remainder of the season. Spike Lee said he won't be showing up to his courtside seats at Madison Square Garden following a disagreement over which entrance he should use.
Spike said that he has been using the employee entrance with no issues for nearly 30 years. That changed before Monday night's game against the Houston Rockets. A video posted on Twitter showed security arguing with Spike before he was eventually allowed to take his courtside seats.
At halftime, Knicks owner James Dolan went down to the court and spoke with the 62-year-old Academy Award winner. The two appeared to shake hands and smile, but Lee said the issue was not resolved.
After the game, the Knicks issued a statement clarifying that Spike was not ejected from the arena, but called the idea that he is a victim "laughable."
"The idea that Spike Lee is a victim because we have repeatedly asked him to not use our employee entrance and instead use a dedicated VIP entrance — which is used by every other celebrity who enters The Garden —is laughable. It's disappointing that Spike would create this false controversy to perpetuate drama."
Spike said he was willing to forget about the incident until he read the Knicks statement. He told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that the Knicks were trying to "spin" what happened and that he's being "harassed by James Dolan."
Spike said that he's done going to Knicks games this season.
"Not this year. No. No. I'm coming back next year. But I'm done for the season. Done."
Despite all the drama off the court, the Knicks managed to pull off a shocking 125-123 upset victory over the Rockets.