Court dismisses Oakley's lawsuit against Madison Square Garden for third time

A federal judge has thrown out Charles Oakley's lawsuit against Madison Square Garden for the third time. Oakley, a former NBA player, was removed from a Knicks game in 2017 after a confrontation with security staff. He was arrested, but criminal charges were later dropped. Oakley then sued MSG, saying that owner James Dolan made statements that suggested he had a drinking problem. A judge first dismissed the case in 2020. The latest dismissal came in 2024, and the judge found no evidence of force during the 2017 incident. Oakley has also been ordered to pay more than $642,000 in legal fees to MSG, because his team deleted text messages that the court had requested.