Charles Oakley's attorney asks for review of decision to dismiss lawsuit against MSG, James Dolan
Former Knicks player Charles Oakley on the sideline in the second quarter during Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinals between the Nets and 76ers on April 20, 2019 at Barclays Center. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
An attorney for Charles Oakley on Thursday asked a federal appeals court to review a judge’s recent decision to dismiss the former Knicks player’s longstanding civil lawsuit against Madison Square Garden and James Dolan, its executive chairman and CEO.
U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan dismissed Oakley’s lawsuit on Wednesday, saying Oakley's claims of defamation, assault and false imprisonment stemming from his ejection from a Knicks game in February 2017 did not rise to the legal bar necessary for it to proceed.
In response to that ruling, MSG released a statement that expressed hope for a reconciliation between the organization and the popular former player.
MSG's statement said: “This was an incident that no one was happy about. Maybe now there can be peace between us.”
Oakley responded by appealing the judge's decision less than 24 hours later. Neither Oakley nor his attorney responded immediately to requests seeking comment. His lawsuit was filed in September 2017 and the judge took nearly two years to issue his ruling Wednesday regarding MSG's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
Jim Baumbach is an award-winning investigative reporter at Newsday, where he has worked since 1998. He spent two decades in the sports department, where he covered every professional team and league, including events such as the Super Bowl and World Series.
