New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley has lost his civil suit against Knicks owner James Dolan and the Madison Square Garden Company. According to SNY's Ian Begley, Judge Richard J. Sullivan ruled on Wednesday that "Oakley has failed to allege a plausible legal claim that can meet federal legal standards."
Oakley, one of the most beloved players in Knicks history, had filed a civil suit back in 2017 after he was ejected from MSG and arrested following an altercation with security guards in the arena.
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According to the New York Daily News, Judge Sullivan stated that Dolan had every right, legally, to have Oakley removed from the arena. He also mentioned how the case “has had the feel of a public relations campaign, with the parties seemingly more interested in the court of public opinion.”
“Oakley grossly misunderstands the law concerning a landlord’s right to remove a trespasser from its property,” Sullivan wrote. “The law is clear that the MSG defendants had the right to expel Oakley from the Garden and that his refusal to leave justified their use of reasonable force to remove him.”
Madison Square Garden issued the following statement in response to today's ruling, “We thank the court for its ruling. This was an incident that no one was happy about. Maybe now there can be peace between us.” Judging from the statement made by Oakley’s attorney, Doug Wigdor, it doesn't look like his client is interested in making amends.
“Charles is not one to give up. While we are disappointed with the ruling, it’s just the beginning of the fourth quarter and we are confident that we can turn this around with an appeal that we plan to file in the coming days,” Wigdor said, according to the NYDN.
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