Spike Lee Says He's 'Done' With the Knicks

He says he is being 'harassed' after dispute over using employee entrance
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 4, 2020 3:57 AM CST
Spike Lee Says He's 'Done' With the Knicks
New York Knicks fan and film director Spike Lee in his front-row seat during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Knicks, Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, in New York.   (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

New York Knicks superfan Spike Lee says he's "done" with the team—for this season, anyway—after a dispute over using the employee entrance at Madison Square Garden. The director, who has a courtside season ticket, was seen yelling at security before the team's 125-123 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night, the Guardian reports. He says he has been using the entrance for more than 20 years, but the Knicks now want him to use the VIP entrance, which is two blocks away. Lee, speaking to ESPN Tuesday, rejected the team's claim that he settled the dispute with owner James Dolan during the game. "I'm being harassed by James Dolan. I don't know why," he says.

Lee says he was never told that the entrance policy had changed. "They never said when the thing changed, so why not call me?" he says. "When my deposit’s due, this astronomical price for Knicks tickets and I’m one day late, my phone is ringing off the hook." In a statement, the team accused Lee of creating a "false controversy to perpetuate drama," NBC reports. "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," the team said. (More Spike Lee stories.)

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