Knicks Set to Lift MSG Ban on Franchise Legend on One Strong Condition

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Liz Lindain | Last updated May 24, 2025 6:30 PM ET

Charles Oakley may soon be welcomed back to Madison Square Garden — but only under one condition.

According to the New York Post, the New York Knicks are prepared to open their doors to Oakley as a celebrated team alumnus if he agrees to drop his ongoing lawsuit against team owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden.

Oakley, a fan favorite who played for the Knicks for 10 seasons from 1988 to 1998, was banned from MSG after a highly publicized altercation with Dolan and MSG's security guards.

During a Knicks-Clippers game at MSG back in February 2017, Oakley, who was sitting a few rows behind Dolan, made remarks directed at him during a break in the first quarter. Then, a security guard approached him and asked him to leave, but the athlete did not comply right away. Things quickly escalated, and Oakley was dragged out, cuffed and arrested on charges tied to assault.

Though the ban was formally lifted later that year and Oakley can technically buy a ticket and attend any game he wants, the relationship between Oakley and the Knicks has remained tense.

Central to the rift is Oakley’s insistence on a public apology from Dolan, something that has yet to happen. In response to the incident and its fallout, Oakley filed a civil lawsuit against Dolan and the Garden, alleging defamation, assault and wrongful ejection. Though the case has been dismissed twice, it was reinstated again by an appeals court in September. As of November 2024, the case remains ongoing.

But if the Knicks alum drops the suit, he’d fully re-enter the Knicks family and get all the perks that come with that. This includes courtside seats, features on the jumbotron and regularly attending other team events.

Since his retirement from the NBA in 2004, he continues to lead the Oak Out Hunger initiative through the Charles Oakley Foundation, providing meals and gambling addiction support services to underserved communities across the United States, including New York City, Cleveland and Los Angeles. He also serves as the head coach of the Killer 3's team in the BIG3 basketball league since 2017.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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