Charles Oakley did not need a lengthy statement to make his position clear.
One day after a federal judge dismissed the former New York Knicks star’s lawsuit against Madison Square Garden for a third time, Oakley posted a photograph from his playing days on Instagram with two pointed hashtags: “#ItsNotOver” and “#JuryTrial.”
The response signaled that Oakley intends to continue a legal fight that has lasted nearly a decade and has already been revived twice on appeal.
Oakley’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, confirmed that direction in a statement Friday. Wigdor said Oakley’s legal team hopes the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit will overturn the latest ruling and return the case for a jury trial.
Oakley’s Instagram post offered no additional explanation. After nine years of litigation, however, the message required little translation.
Oakley’s MSG Lawsuit Dismissed Again
The dispute traces to Feb. 8, 2017, when security personnel removed Oakley from his courtside seat during a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden. He was arrested following the confrontation, although the criminal charges were later dismissed.
Oakley subsequently sued MSG and Knicks owner James Dolan, alleging, among other claims, assault, battery, false imprisonment and defamation. Most of those claims were dismissed earlier in the litigation, leaving the use of force by Garden security at the center of the case.
U.S. Circuit Judge Richard J. Sullivan, sitting by designation in federal district court, dismissed Oakley’s remaining claims Friday. Sullivan concluded that the available video and witness testimony showed Oakley was given a reasonable opportunity to leave before the confrontation escalated.
“No rational jury could conclude” that Oakley reasonably feared wrongful physical contact, Sullivan wrote in his decision, according to the New York Post.
MSG said Oakley’s claims had been dismissed in their entirety and announced plans to take legal action against Wigdor and his firm. The company accused Oakley’s attorneys of pursuing allegations they knew were false. Wigdor disputed that characterization and maintained that conflicting accounts of the confrontation should be weighed by jurors.
A Feud That Still Follows the Knicks
This is not the first time Sullivan has thrown out Oakley’s case. A 2020 dismissal was partially reversed by the Second Circuit, which restored the assault and battery claims. Sullivan dismissed them again in 2021, only for the appeals court to revive them in 2023.
That history explains Oakley’s confidence that Friday’s ruling may not represent the final word.
The episode fractured the relationship between the Knicks and one of the defining players of their rugged 1990s teams. Oakley spent 10 seasons in New York, earning an All-Star selection in 1994 and helping the Knicks reach the NBA Finals that year.
His initial Garden ban was quickly lifted, but reconciliation with Dolan and the organization has remained elusive. Oakley has attended Knicks playoff games on the road, maintaining his connection to the franchise’s fans while staying outside its official alumni circle.
Friday’s dismissal moved MSG closer to the resolution it has long sought. Oakley’s three-word response indicated he remains unwilling to provide it.
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