A federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by Charles Oakley against Madison Square Garden, saying the former NBA player has not proved that he was assaulted before he was kicked out of "The World's Most Famous Arena" during a 2017 game.
During the Feb. 8, 2017 game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Oakley was arrested after an incident with security while seated near New York Knicks
owner James Dolan.Oakley's first attempt at suing MSG was filed in February 2020, and this is the third time the lawsuit has been thrown out.
In court documents filed in the Southern District of New York and obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Judge Richard J. Sullivan detailed at least six reasons why he dismissed the latest appeal, in part saying Oakley "has produced no
evidence to support his claim that he was assaulted by MSG security guards."
Sullivan also said Oakley's objections are overruled based on those six factors stemming from Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky's ruling on Oct. 31, 2025, that Oakley must pay $642,337.65 in attorneys' fees and costs filed by MSG Networks, Inc., Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC, and Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. to the defendants.
"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's attorney Douglas Wigdor said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports.
"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," Sullivan wrote in his ruling.
MSG, in a statement, ripped Oakley and his legal representation, saying they knew their claims against them were frivolous and that MSG is "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."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charles Oakley's assault case against Madison Square Garden dismissed
