Judge dismisses Oakley's assault case vs. MSG for third time
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- Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Southern District of New York ruled Friday that Oakley "has produced no evidence to support his claim that he was assaulted by MSG security guards," marking the third dismissal of his claims against the Garden.
- Oakley was handcuffed and arrested in February 2017 after an altercation with MSG security while seated near Knicks owner James Dolan during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers; his initial claims were thrown out in February 2020, with only the assault-and-battery claim surviving appeal.
- Sullivan wrote that "ample evidence — including videos from multiple angles and the unanimous testimony of every witness" — showed Oakley had a reasonable opportunity to leave, "resorted to physical violence," and "was never pushed to the ground."
- MSG said it is pursuing legal action against Oakley's attorney Douglas Wigdor and his firm, calling the nine-year litigation "frivolous" and an "abuse of the judicial system."
- Wigdor said he was disappointed and hopes the Second Circuit will remand the case for a third time so "a jury can decide what exactly happened."
- Oakley, a beloved Knicks forward in the 1990s, remains one of the few former players absent from MSG during the team's recent playoff runs, culminating in this year's NBA championship.
Why it matters: After nine years of litigation, the federal bench has now rejected Oakley's assault theory three times, giving MSG a legal green light to flip the script and pursue its own malpractice-style claims against Wigdor's firm — potentially chilling copycat suits against venues and teams. For Oakley personally, the ruling deepens his estrangement from the franchise during its first title run in decades, with no path back through the courts.
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