Charles Oakley’s lawsuit against Madison Square Garden dismissed — again

A federal judge dismissed Charles Oakley’s lawsuit against Madison Square Garden on Friday, saying that the former New York Knicks forward did not prove he was assaulted when he was removed from a game as a fan in 2017.

Oakley was handcuffed and arrested after an altercation with security while sitting near owner James Dolan during a Knicks game against the LA Clippers on Feb. 8, 2017. Oakley filed several claims against MSG, which were dismissed in February 2020. However, after an appeal, Oakley’s assault-and-battery claim remained.

In Circuit Judge Richard J. Sullivan’s opinion and order released Friday, he stated, “Ample evidence — including videos from multiple angles and the unanimous testimony of every witness (even, to some extent, Oakley himself) — shows that Oakley had a reasonable opportunity to depart the Garden, that he instead resorted to physical violence, and that he was never pushed to the ground.”

He added: “In short, no rational jury could conclude that Oakley reasonably feared himself at risk of wrongful physical contact — let alone that MSG intended to stir such an apprehension.”

In its arguments, MSG used 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,” MSG said in a statement. “Those claims have now been dismissed by the Court in their entirety — for a third time. 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.”

The Athletic reached out to Wigdor, Oakley’s attorney, for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

In a statement to The Associated Press on Friday, Wigdor stated, “We are disappointed with the Court’s rulings. 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.”

Oakley, a fan favorite, spent 10 seasons with the Knicks and was a significant part of the team’s success in the 1990s. He has been absent from MSG during the Knicks’ recent postseason success, which culminated in this year’s NBA championship.

Oakley also played for the Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets.