Knicks Icon Charles Oakley Won't Attend NBA Playoffs at MSG until James Dolan Apology

Even though several New York Knicks legends have sat courtside at Madison Square Garden for the team's playoff run, Charles Oakley hasn't been one of them and doesn't intend to be until team governor James Dolan apologizes to him.

Oakley told the Associated Press his lawyers heard from Knicks lawyers "saying it's a good time for you to come back to the Garden," but he declined the invitation because of his history with Dolan.

"They've got to apologize," Oakley said. "We'll go from there. Can [Dolan] be man enough to say, 'Mistakes happen.' And he made one."

The ongoing dispute between the two stems from a 2017 incident when Oakley was in the stands at MSG for a Knicks game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was arrested and charged with three counts of assault, as well as criminal trespassing.

Oakley was heard blaming Dolan as the situation was happening.

The Knicks issued two separate statements about the incident in which they said Oakley behaved in a "highly inappropriate" and "abusive manner."

Ian Begley reported Oakley purchased a seat a few rows behind where Dolan sits and was "making comments" at the Knicks governor, who eventually called security to escort him from the arena.

The criminal case against Oakley was dismissed in February 2018. His lawsuit against Madison Square Garden and Dolan was revived in May 2023 by the New York Court of Appeals after previously being dismissed twice by United States district judge Richard Sullivan in 2020 and 2021.

Per the AP report, Oakley filed an amended lawsuit in April that was assigned to Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron this week.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters in February 2017 that Michael Jordan helped broker a meeting between Oakley and Dolan to discuss the situation.

"Both Mr. Oakley and Mr. Dolan were apologetic about the incident and subsequent comments, and their negative impact on the Knicks organization and the NBA," Silver said.

Despite working out some of the issues during that meeting, it apparently wasn't enough to get Oakley back to MSG for games as the Knicks are enjoying arguably their best season since reaching the 1999 NBA Finals.

The Knicks hold a 2-1 series lead over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals after Friday's Game 3 loss.

Oakley played 19 seasons in the NBA from 1985 to 2004. He spent 10 seasons with the Knicks between 1988 and '98. They made the postseason every year during that span, including an appearance in the 1994 NBA Finals.