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

On Friday, a judge ruled in favor of Madison Square Garden (MSG) in its legal dispute with former New York Knicks star Charles Oakley. The judge stated that Oakley could not prove he was assaulted during a game he attended in 2017.

Oakley was initially arrested and handcuffed after an altercation with security while seated near MSG owner James Dolan. His assault-and-battery claim was dismissed in February 2020 and remained dismissed after an appeal.

In the ruling, Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Southern District of New York found that Oakley "has produced no evidence to support his claim that he was assaulted by MSG security guards." MSG provided video evidence and testimony that Oakley was not assaulted.

The judge noted that Oakley had ample opportunity to leave the venue, but resorted to physical violence instead. Sullivan further ruled that no rational jury could conclude Oakley feared wrongful physical contact or that MSG intended to cause such an apprehension.

Oakley's lawyers had pursued claims they believed were false for over nine years, and MSG expressed satisfaction with the ruling. They also announced plans to pursue legal action against Oakley's lawyers, Douglas Wigdor and his firm, for frivolous litigation and abuse of the judicial system.

Oakley, a beloved Knicks forward from the 1990s, has not been present at MSG during the team's recent playoff runs, including their NBA championship victory this year.