New York Knicks great Charles Oakley did not prove he was assaulted by Madison Square Garden security during his infamous 2017 ejection from the arena, according to a federal judge in New York, who sided with the company and team owner in the yearslong legal dispute on Friday.
Oakley, now 62, was handcuffed and arrested after an altercation with security while sitting near owner James Dolan during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Oakley initially brought a number of claims against MSG that were dismissed in February 2020. After appeal, Oakley’s assault-and-battery claim remained.
But Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Southern District of New York ruled that Oakley ‘has produced no evidence to support his claim that he was assaulted by MSG security guards.’
MSG had pointed to video evidence and previous testimony that Oakley was not assaulted.
‘For more than nine years, Mr. Oakley’s lawyers have pursued claims they knew were false. Those claims have now been dismissed by the Court in their entirety — for the third time,’ MSG said in a statement. ‘We are pursuing legal action against Douglas Wigdor, and his unscrupulous law firm, to hold them accountable for years of frivolous litigation and their blatant abuse of the judicial system.’
Oakley was a beloved Knicks forward in the 1990s, and he remains one of the few former players who has remained absent from MSG during the team’s recent playoff runs, culminating with this year’s NBA championship.
Former New York Knicks player Charles Oakley, rear left, exchanges words with a security guard during a 2017 game at Madison Square Garden. He was physically removed that night
Oakley was accused by Dolan of having a drinking problem but denied that accusation
Oakley did not prove he was assaulted by Madison Square Garden security during his infamous 2017 ejection from the arena, according to a federal judge in New York
His removal from the game was a jarring scene, but Sullivan ruled that Oakley hadn’t proven it was done with excessive force.
Wigdor still hopes a jury will get a chance to rule.
‘We are disappointed with the Court’s rulings,’ he wrote in an email. ‘We believe there are conflicting accounts and only a jury can decide what exactly happened. We are hopeful that the Second Circuit will agree for a third time and remand the case for an immediate jury trial.’
Michael Jordan and NBA commissioner Adam Silver both tried hard but ultimately failed to end the feud in the weeks following Oakley’s ejection. A fan favorite of the Knicks, Oakley was a teammate of Jordan’s in Chicago before being traded to New York for Bill Cartwright in 1988.
Speaking at his annual NBA Finals press conference, Silver was asked about the ongoing feud and its chances of being resolved.
‘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.’
Contacted by The Daily Mail, an NBA spokesman said Silver’s efforts to end the feud occurred in 2017.
Knicks owner James Dolan banned Oakley from attending Madison Square Garden in 2017
According to court filings made by MSG, Oakley was asked to leave the game because of his disruptive behavior. Pictures from the night showed the retired power forward on the floor as security pinned him down.
Dolan, who identifies as a recovering alcoholic, reacted to the incident by accusing Oakley of having a ‘problem with alcohol.’
Oakley denied the accusation. He was later cleared of misdemeanor assault charges in 2018 and in the years since has tried to bring assault and battery claims against MSG and Dolan, with an amended lawsuit filed in May of 2024.
At the time, Oakley claimed he received an offer to join former Knicks players such as Stephon Marbury and Latrell Sprewell at the Garden in 2024.
Despite that, he refused, saying he would not step foot inside MSG until he’d 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,’ he told the Associated Pressa at the time.
‘They’ve got to apologize. We’ll go from there. Can (Dolan) be man enough to say, mistakes happen. And he made one.’
Even with the Knicks winning their first title in 53 years back in June, Dolan remains a divisive figure among fans and media.
