Jordan and – Adam Silver revealed that Michael Jordan tried to broker peace between Charles Oakley and Knicks owner James Dolan, but the effort failed and the matter remains in litigation after a violent ejection in 2017.
A decade-old image still lives in the Knicks orbit: Charles Oakley pinned down on the Madison Square Garden floor after security intervened during a game nearly ten years ago. For Oakley, it didn’t end with the incident. For James Dolan, it never fully began to heal. And for Michael Jordan—who knew Oakley well and tried to pull both sides together—peace simply never arrived.
Speaking at his annual NBA Finals press conference on Wednesday, Adam Silver was asked about the long-running feud and whether it could ever be resolved. Silver’s answer was blunt: both he and Michael Jordan tried, and it didn’t work.
“I tried. Michael Jordan tried. to broker peace between Charles Oakley and Jim Dolan. ” Silver said at his press conference before the NBA Finals opener in San Antonio. “Our efforts were unsuccessful. I think it’s unfortunate for the NBA… but it’s currently in litigation. I tried my best; I don’t really see anything else I can do at the moment.”.
Silver also said the attempts to end the feud took place in 2017.
Oakley has been banned from attending Madison Square Garden since the 2017 altercation. The NBA commissioner framed the standoff as something that can’t be fixed simply by good intentions—because, even after years of public dispute, it is still in the courts.
The conflict started in February 2017, when Oakley was arrested after an altercation with Madison Square Garden security officials that began while he was seated near Dolan. Oakley was later charged with three counts that were dropped over his 2017 ejection.
In court filings, Madison Square Garden said Oakley had been asked to leave the game due to disruptive behavior. Photos from that night showed the retired power forward on the floor as security pinned him down.
Dolan, who identifies as a recovering alcoholic, responded to the incident by accusing Oakley of having a “problem with alcohol.” Oakley denied the accusation.
The legal path that followed has been slow and sharply contested. Oakley was cleared of misdemeanor assault charges in 2018, and in the years since has tried to bring assault and battery claims against Madison Square Garden and Dolan. An amended lawsuit was filed in May of 2024.
That lawsuit also intersects with a specific moment of hope that never became an apology. Oakley claimed he received an offer to join former Knicks players such as Stephon Marbury and Latrell Sprewell at the Garden in 2024. But he refused. He said he wouldn’t step foot inside Madison Square Garden until he received an apology from Dolan.
“I guess their lawyer called my lawyer saying it’s a good time for you to come back to the Garden,” Oakley told the Associated Press. “They’ve got to apologize. We’ll go from there. Can (Dolan) be man enough to say, mistakes happen. And he made one.”
In response, Madison Square Garden officials pushed back. In a statement to ESPN, MSG insisted that no such invitations extended.
“This matter should be behind all of us at this point. but because of the ongoing legal maneuverings of Charles Oakley and his lawyers. this case will apparently now have to continue. ” MSG said. “Nevertheless, we fully expect this case to be dismissed – for the third time.” The case remains outstanding.
Even with all the courtroom friction, the personal stakes haven’t faded. Oakley has said the incident changed his life. He also pointed to what his family had to witness.
In further comments about the episode, Oakley said, “Just be honest. Just be transparent over what you put someone through and how you changed their life. This definitely changed my life.” He added: “My daughter Googled me. they show them pulling me out of the Garden. that’s bad. That’s hell for a kid to see that.”.
Oakley, 62, played for the Knicks from 1988-98 and helped the franchise reach the NBA Finals in 1994. His relationship with the team remains poor even though Silver and Jordan attempted to reconcile the sides in 2017.
What keeps the feud alive, Oakley says, is the weight of years rather than a single moment. He described it as a struggle that has outlasted the headlines.
“It’s been a struggle the last seven years,” Oakley said. “There have been things said that weren’t true. The league didn’t step in. The commissioner is pretty soft. He didn’t do nothing. The city got behind me and I’m always behind the fans. I love that.”
Michael Jordan Adam Silver Charles Oakley James Dolan Madison Square Garden Knicks NBA Finals litigation Stephon Marbury Latrell Sprewell