*Charles Oakley is suing New York Knicks owner James Dolan citing a multitude of allegations.
Stemming from his forced removal from a Knicks game on Feb. 8, the legal filing Tuesday in New York’s Southern District targets Dolan and Madison Square Garden for defamation, libel, slander, assault, battery and false imprisonment.
The former Knicks forward seeks damages for harm to his reputation, as well as emotional distress and mental anguish, among other punitive damages.
After Oakley was thrown out of the Knicks game on live television, he was temporarily banned from the Garden indefinitely. The punishment has since been lifted.
Oakley, 53, claims he did nothing wrong, disruptive or disrespectful to warrant such treatment, the lawsuit states. He says Dolan has just always had it out for him, and he doesn’t know why.
“Dolan constantly disrespected Mr. Oakley, refusing to make eye contact or shake his hand during meetings, denying him the type of fan appreciation nights given to much less popular and successful members of the Knicks, and even making him purchase his own tickets to attend games at the arena he called home for a decade,” the filing reads.
Oakley claims that things got even worse after he was tossed from Madison Square Garden.
“Over the ensuing days Defendants Dolan and MSG launched a coordinated and defamatory public relations campaign against Mr. Oakley, baselessly accusing him of abusing fans and staff, acting inappropriately and struggling with alcoholism,” Oakley’s lawyers stated.
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