Court reinstates Charles Oakley's assault case against Madison Square Garden; James Dolan possibly a defendant

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Former New York Knicks great Charles Oakley's lawsuit over a 2017 scuffle that led to his ejection from Madison Square Garden has been revived by a federal appeals court panel.

Madison Square Garden Sports Executive Chairman and CEO James Dolan allegedly ordered Oakley's ejection from a Knicks-Clippers game that year. 

Oakley had been a vocal critic of Dolan's tenure as the Knicks owner.

The court filing showed that Oakley claims MSG security personnel used unnecessary force to remove Oakley from the Feb. 8, 2017, game.

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Former NBA player Charles Oakley attends a game between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks at Barclays Center March 12, 2017, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.  (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The court order overruled a lower court’s decision to dismiss the case, which now grants Oakley the opportunity to pursue a lawsuit against MSG. Oakley may add Dolan to the complaint as a defendant.

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When the case was brought before Judge Richard Sullivan in 2020, he ruled that the former NBA player "failed to allege a plausible legal claim." But several months later, the case was revived by the Court of Appeals in November. Sullivan decided to throw the case out again in 2021.

A video of the incident, which has since gone viral, shows Oakley being removed from the arena.

Former NBA player Charles Oakley sits courtside prior to a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena Feb. 15, 2017, in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

On Friday, a