The ongoing saga between Madison Square Garden and former New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley has hit a major inflection point.
The Knicks finally won their first championship in over 50 years this summer, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. While there were plenty of celebrities who were part of the celebrations, one of the most memorable aspects was the number of Knicks legends who were in the stands and part of the scene, making it a true community affair.
One of those former players was Oakley, although he was only seen in San Antonio, not at MSG. That’s because of a lengthy dispute with the Garden and Knicks owner James Dolan that goes back several years.
Oakley was ejected from a game at Madison Square Garden in February 2017 when security approached him after criticizing Knicks owner and MSG CEO James Dolan. A scuffle with security guards ensued, and Oakley was arrested. He accepted a plea deal that led to a one-year ban from the arena, but also gave him the opportunity to sue Dolan. That civil action has now been going for almost a decade.
But on Friday, Charles Oakley vs MSG reached what one would reason is an endpoint. The former player’s suit was dismissed by a US District Judge on Friday for a third time.
However, both sides aren’t ready to lay down their swords just yet, with MSG threatening legal action against Oakley’s attorney and the player’s side looking for another chance.
“For more than nine years, Mr. Oakley’s lawyers have pursued claims they knew were false,” MSG said in a statement according to the New York Post. “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.”
Oakley’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor is hoping to take the case to a jury trial. “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,” he said.
Charles Oakley and MSG have been locked in this feud for almost a decade now, with barbs being traded publicly as well. Not even intervention efforts from Adam Silver and Michael Jordan have been able to end the dispute. And if a Knicks championship victory can’t cause the hatchet to be buried, then it’s likely that nothing ever will. With both sides either seeking continuance or retribution, this story is far from over.
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