Judge sides with MSG against Oakley, says the former Knick couldn’t prove he was assaulted at game

A judge ruled in favor of Madison Square Garden (MSG) in its legal dispute with former New York Knicks player Charles Oakley on Friday, stating that Oakley had not been able to prove he was assaulted during a game he attended in 2017. Oakley was arrested and handcuffed after an altercation with security while sitting next to the team's owner, James Dolan.

Initially, Oakley brought multiple claims against MSG that were dismissed in 2020, but after an appeal, his assault-and-battery claim remained. However, 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 presented video evidence and witness testimony that Oakley was not assaulted, leading to the dismissal of his claims for the third time.

MSG expressed their intent to take legal action against Oakley's lawyers for pursuing false claims and abusing the judicial system. Oakley, a beloved Knicks forward in the 1990s, has been absent from MSG during the team's recent playoff runs, including this year's NBA championship. The judge noted that ample evidence, including multiple video angles and unanimous witness testimony, showed that Oakley had a reasonable opportunity to leave the Garden but instead resorted to physical violence and was never pushed to the ground.