TMZ: Anonymous Knicks Fan Says James Dolan Issued 2018 Ban for 'Sell the Team'

Kyle Newport @@KyleNewportFeatured ColumnistMarch 12, 2019

FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2018, file photo, Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, center, watches an NBA basketball game between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden in New York. It's been a year since Dolan announced his intent to sell the New York Liberty, and the team is still on the market. There have been several potential buyers and a few have gotten close to purchasing the team, but for various reasons all the potential deals fell through. Even without a new owner on the horizon and the Liberty in the same situation as last November, there is no danger of the team ceasing to exist this winter. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

New York Knicks owner James Dolan recently banned a fan for yelling "Sell the team!" in his direction, and as it turns out, that wasn't the first time that scenario has played out.

According to TMZ Sports on Tuesday, a fan also said he was banned in 2018 for telling Dolan he should give up his franchise. The fan was subsequently escorted out of Madison Square Garden by two cops and five security guards before being informed he was banned from the arena for good.

"Dolan himself made sure, came down and shouted 'FOR LIFE' and kept walking," the fan told TMZ Sports, "It was surreal to say the least."

This revelation comes after Dolan confronted a fan at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, telling the fan that the comments made were "rude" and that he was no longer welcome at the arena:

Former New York Knicks star Charles Oakley—who was once arrested and escorted out of Madison Square Garden stemming from an incident with Dolan—told the Associated Press (h/t the New York Post) on Monday that the Knicks owner was acting like a "bully."

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content