Latest news with #CharlesOakley
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Tracy and I never had to worry about anything" - Vince Carter says Charles Oakley was always ready to scrap
"Tracy and I never had to worry about anything" - Vince Carter says Charles Oakley was always ready to scrap originally appeared on Basketball Network. Vince Carter regards Charles Oakley as the most influential mentor he had during his formative years in the NBA. Reflecting on his rookie season with the Toronto Raptors, Vinsanity expressed deep gratitude for the invaluable lessons Oakley taught him. However, what stood out the most for Carter was Oakley's unwavering support and protection. Carter recalled that whenever tensions flared on the court, Oak was always ready to step in and defend him. This dynamic provided Carter with peace of mind and allowed him to concentrate on his game. "The one thing I'll say about Oak is that Tracy [McGrady] and I never had to worry about anything," Carter told Yahoo Sports in 2019. "You get in a little altercation, shoving match, talking; you didn't have to ask Oakley to be there. He would be there. He taught us how to play the game, how to be tough, respect the game and don't take no junk from nobody." Oakley did the same for MJ Throughout his NBA career, Oakley earned a reputation as one of the toughest competitors in the league. He was not just known for his physical style of play, but also for his remarkable commitment to protecting his teammates from the league's most aggressive and dirtiest players. Before being there for Carter, Oak, who played for the Chicago Bulls, had already taken on the crucial role of defending Michael Jordan, especially against those who aimed to hurt him during games. In the process, Oakley and Jordan developed a strong bond. Their relationship extended beyond the court and in fact, Oakley made it a point to be there for MJ when things got out of hand off the court. The towering center ensured that Jordan was safe whenever they were together. According to Gilbert Arenas, there was even one time when Washington Wizards big man Kwame Brown wanted to beat Jordan up, but he got scared because Oakley was there. "We in Chicago... you know, his nemesis is Jordan, but his real nemesis is Oakley 'cause Oakley scared the s**t out of him," Arenas once shared. "I remember we sitting at the bar, and Kwame's like, 'Yeah, I'mma f**k him up, I'mma whoop his a** now. He by himself... Bartender! Shots! Give me five.' Jordan come, 'Hey h*e. What your a** doing here h*e?' All you see was Kwame take them, hit them shots. He seen it, and he was like, 'Oh, he trying to get some courage, huh?'" "Jordan said, 'Oakley downstairs,' that's all MJ said. Whatever that liquor was gonna do, the name Oakley reversed that s**t," Arenas added. The last NBA enforcer Oakley played 19 seasons in the NBA. All throughout his playing years, he carried a tough guy persona that left a lasting impact on both his teammates and rivals. Even when his career was over, Oak still embodied toughness. In fact, he takes pride in relentlessly fighting with players whom he believed were deserving of some beating. However, Oakley's legacy is not solely defined by his physicality and toughness on the court but also by the deep connections he formed with his teammates. For Carter and Jordan, Oak was more than just a fierce competitor. His dedication to both the game and ensuring his teammates were safe made him a true NBA story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"He don't want none of this here smoke!" - Scottie Pippen recalls how Suge Knight backed down from Charles Oakley
"He don't want none of this here smoke!" - Scottie Pippen recalls how Suge Knight backed down from Charles Oakley originally appeared on Basketball Network. Scottie Pippen knew Charles Oakley's toughness wasn't just for show. "Oak" carried the same edge everywhere, so much so that even Suge Knight, the feared music executive known for intimidation, kept his distance. "I'm sitting in the middle of the party and all of a sudden, I look up and I'm seeing all these people get pushed around," the Chicago Bulls great recalled in an appearance on the "Chopping It Up With Oakley" podcast (H/T: Hiphop DX). "So Oak looks and said, 'That's Suge Knight. He don't want none of this here smoke! I had beef with him the other night." "It was like a storm going on over there. Wasn't nobody moving where we were standing, and I'm like, 'Wow.' And it was basically Suge Knight walked around Oakley like that," added Pippen. Knight wasn't a small guy by any means. He was a former football player, standing 6'2" and weighing 265 pounds, at least in his younger days. That said, "Oak Tree" is an athletically built 6'9" and 230-pound power forward who also happens to be best friends with the most recognizable athlete on the planet, Michael Jordan. Suge may have gang ties, but Oakley isn't one to back down. When two bullies meet Pippen joined Oakley and co-host Sasha del Valle on episode 8 of "Chopping It Up," where the conversation naturally turned to their NBA days, including the season they shared as teammates in Chicago. Even after the Bulls traded Oakley to the Knicks for Bill Cartwright, he and Pippen stayed close. So it wasn't unusual to see them out together, even at nightclubs, despite playing on different teams. According to Scottie, he saw Charles check Suge after Oak had already gotten into it with someone whom nobody in Miami wanted to mess with. "I look up. I'm seeing all these people. Probably three, four feet from me. They gettin' pushed around, knocked around. Me and Oak standing there, you know, we both of stature so we could see everything. People could see us," Pippen continued. At that point, Suge and his entourage made their way around a sea of people, only to come face to face with Oakley. That's when Oak allegedly checked Knight, who then avoided the basketball player all evening. Some might question how much of the story actually happened that way. After all, Knight wasn't just any partygoer. He co-founded Death Row Records and had serious pull in Los Angeles at the time, so why would he back down from a random basketball player? Still, whether every detail is accurate or not, the story fits with Oakley's reputation. These kinds of run-ins weren't out of character, as he had altercations with just about anyone who rubbed him the wrong way, on or off the court. Oak's beefs Oakley was one of the most notorious enforcers in the NBA during the 1980s and 1990s. He was a rugged defender and a fearless rebounder, leading the Association in defensive rebounds per game in back-to-back seasons (1986-87 and 1987-88). With his brash persona and blunt approach, he had a way of getting under people's skin. Or maybe they got under his, and Oakley only knew one way to respond. Take, for instance, the time he nearly squared off with Judge Greg Mathis. According to Oakley's own account on GQ, a confrontation at Derrick Coleman's restaurant escalated when the judge came over to settle his tab in a way Oakley felt was disrespectful. As always, Oakley didn't back down. Instead, he physically pushed Mathis "real hard," just to remind him that even off-court, Oak's line wasn't one to cross. "He said, "I'mma make these NBA boys pay for it." He was out of order. He's gonna tell me, "I'm gonna call my boys [on you]." He said, "This my city!" I don't care whose city it is. You don't tell anybody that you got some boys to come get me. He was dead wrong. It got kinda crazy," Oakley said, describing the moment Mathis threatened him. Aside from Judge Mathis, Oakley admitted he "slapped the sh-t" out of several former NBA players over the years. Among them: Charles Barkley, for taking shots at the Knicks during the 1998 lockout; Jeff McInnis, for what Oakley saw as blatant disrespect; and Tyrone Hill, for an unpaid $20,000 debt. Unsurprisingly, the man got more beef than a Texas cookout. Same ol' Oak They say a leopard cannot change its stripes, and that's precisely how Oak is. Whether it was Suge at a party, Judge Mathis in a restaurant, or Madison Square Garden security personnel, the rules remained the same: show respect or face the consequences. Even in retirement, his presence still carries weight. Oakley doesn't need to exaggerate or remind people who he was, as the stories, like the one Pippen recalled, do it for him. And in a league that has grown increasingly polished and image-conscious, there's something about Oakley's raw consistency that makes him stand out even story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Reuters
05-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Madison Square Garden, ex-Knicks star fight over lawyer fees
June 5 (Reuters) - (Billable Hours is Reuters' weekly report on lawyers and money. Please send tips or suggestions to opens new tab) Lawyers for one-time New York Knicks All-Star Charles Oakley and Madison Square Garden are squaring off over attorney fees, as the stadium fights to finally escape an eight-year-old lawsuit over the former NBA player's televised removal from a February 2017 Knicks game. Oakley's case against the Manhattan stadium and its chief executive James Dolan, who also owns the Knicks, has twice been dismissed by a federal judge, only to be revived each time by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. MSG on Friday asked U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Sullivan, who is overseeing the case in the lower court, to reject Oakley's lawsuit, opens new tab for good, arguing that the evidence shows that he refused to leave the stadium when asked and assaulted security guards. They separately asked the judge to sanction Oakley, opens new tab and his lawyers at Wigdor LLP and Petrillo, Klein & Boxer for pushing what they called a "false narrative" about Oakley's ejection. Wigdor partner Valdi Licul, in a letter to Sullivan, opens new tab filed Wednesday, said Oakley would be filing his own sanctions motion against MSG, arguing that the stadium's sanctions bid is unreasonable and was improperly filed. MSG is represented by New York first deputy mayor Randy Mastro and lawyers at Mastro's former law firm King & Spalding. They did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, who appointed Mastro in March, said the city had determined there was no conflict of interest for Mastro to continue his "limited representation" of MSG. Mastro is working on the case "in his personal capacity, on his own time, without compensation, and without city resources," the spokesperson said. The amount of sanctions the arena's lawyers are seeking could be significant — MSG wants Wigdor to reimburse it for the money it paid Mastro and its high-powered lawyers going as far back as the beginning of the case. If Sullivan won't go that far, MSG has asked him to at least award fees since July 2021, when Douglas Wigdor, one of Oakley's lawyers, personally oversaw revisions to the former NBA player's autobiography that MSG alleges were intended to bolster his lawsuit. MSG claimed that Oakley's initial drafts undermined his claims that he was not given a reasonable opportunity to leave the stadium before he was ejected, and that he admitted to slipping and falling on his own and not being pushed by MSG security guards. Licul pushed back in Wednesday's court filing, arguing that MSG was engaged in "self-serving editorialization." He also said MSG and its lawyers should be sanctioned for making allegedly false assertions that Dolan was not involved in Oakley's removal from the stadium that night. Oakley is a 19-year NBA veteran and fan favorite who was a Knicks power forward from 1988 to 1998. He initially brought a bevy of claims against MSG and Dolan. He sued for defamation over several statements, including when the Knicks tweeted that his behavior was "highly inappropriate and completely abusive" and expressed hope he "gets some help soon," which Oakley said insinuated substance abuse. In his latest amended complaint, opens new tab from April 2024, the former NBA player is alleging claims of assault and battery against MSG and its related entities. --Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google has hired U.S. Supreme Court veteran Donald Verrilli Jr of Munger Tolles to lead the company's high-stakes appeal in the D.C. Circuit challenging a ruling that said the company was illegally monopolizing the web search market. Verrilli separately is battling the Trump administration in a spate of cases. He is lead counsel for law firm Susman Godfrey in its lawsuit against a Trump executive order targeting the firm. A court filing in March in a U.S. bankruptcy case involving a Munger client showed Verrilli has billed at $2,270 an hour. Verrilli did not immediately respond to a request for comment about his new work for Google, which has denied any wrongdoing. --Google has agreed to pay $80 million in legal fees, opens new tab to plaintiffs' lawyers at Scott+Scott for their work on a shareholder lawsuit and settlement with the tech giant. In the accord, Google will dedicate $500 million over ten years to make a series of corporate reforms, resolving a lawsuit that accused the company's board of allowing anticompetitive conduct in search, advertising and apps. The settlement requires court approval. Google and its board denied any wrongdoing. --Some health insurer class members in a multibillion-dollar federal healthcare judgment will get a little more money in the coming weeks, thanks to a federal judge's ruling on an interest payment. Judge Kathryn Davis of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Tuesday directed law firm Quinn Emanuel, opens new tab to send a roughly $10 million check to the claims administrator in the case. Davis' ruling was tied to her decision in October to slash Quinn's legal fee in the case from $185 million to $92 million. Class members who questioned the original fee and Quinn then fought over which interest rate should apply to extra money that the lower fee award yielded to the judgment fund. The challengers had asked for a higher interest rate than what Davis applied in her ruling this week. Quinn Emanuel and a lawyer for the objectors did not immediately respond to requests for comment. --A U.S. judge in Maryland on Thursday awarded, opens new tab law firms Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll and Handley Farah & Anderson more than $132 million in fees for their work on settlements totaling nearly $400 million with major poultry producers. The defendants were accused of conspiring to suppress their workers' wages, in violation of antitrust law. The settling companies have denied any wrongdoing. Read more: Wegovy maker Novo faces fee demand after losing copycat drug lawsuit US agencies face fees over faulty cases, Ford seeks $300 million from lemon law lawyers Settlements mount against law firm caught up in bankruptcy judge's secret romance
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Knicks willling to welcome back Charles Oakley to Garden if he drops lawsuit
INDIANAPOLIS — The Knicks have opened the door. The ball is in Charles Oakley's court. They would welcome him back with open arms as a celebrated team alumnus if he drops his lawsuit against owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Post. The suit stems from his infamous ejection from the Garden in 2017 following an altercation with security guards. 3 Former NBA player Charles Oakley sits courtside before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena on February 15, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty Images Oakley was initially banned from the Garden by Dolan, but that ban has long been lifted. Oakley can purchase a ticket and attend any game he wants. But if he drops the suit, he'd fully re-enter the Knicks family and get all the perks that come with that. A legion of ex-Knicks attend games with courtside seats through the team, are shown on the jumbotron and regularly attend team events. 3 Charles Oakley of the New York Knicks shoots against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1992 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Oakley played for the Knicks from 1988-98. Getty Images Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, John Starks, Larry Johnson, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Carmelo Anthony, Stephon Marbury and others are constant fixtures at games. There are monetary opportunities through the team as well. Oakley brought assault and battery claims against Dolan and the Garden, though the case has twice been dismissed. It was reinstated again by an appeals court in September. 3 Charles Oakley and Ice Cube show support for the inaugural season of the BIG3 basketball league while attending New York Knicks Vs. Brooklyn Nets game at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on March 12, 2017. GC Images The main question centers around whether security used reasonable force. Other claims have been thrown out. Oakley, now 61, played 10 years with the Knicks between 1988-98. He emerged as a fan favorite and key part of a core that was a perennial contender — the Knicks made the playoffs every year Oakley was with the team. His tough, gritty style of play helped shape the Knicks' identity during those years. The bad blood between Oakley and the team has lasted eight years and is still ongoing. But for their part, the Knicks are ready to put it all behind them.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Charles Oakley rooting for Knicks to reach finals despite MSG exile
There is someone for everyone. Bill Bradley and Walt Frazier come to Madison Square Garden, representing the Knicks' golden age. Bernard King is a fixture in the crowd, the apex of individual brilliance. Patrick Ewing pumps up fans on the jumbotron, joined courtside by teammates (John Starks, Larry Johnson, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell) of a perennial contender. Carmelo Anthony and Stephon Marbury cheer on the current Knicks like the kids brought up in Brooklyn. Charles Oakley watches on TV, apart from the alumni taking part in the team's best playoff run in 25 years. Eight-plus years removed from Oakley's infamous ejection from the Garden — following a 2017 altercation with arena security guards — one of the most popular players in franchise history doesn't feel welcome inside his former home. He was initially banned by owner James Dolan after the 2017 incident. Charles Oakley (right) watches the Nets-Sun game at Barclays Center during the regular season. Robert Sabo / New York Post Though Oakley is no longer banned, he chooses not to visit. 'That's up to two people, [Adam Silver, NBA] Commissioner and the guy who owns the team, but there's a lot of things you can't control in life,' Oakley said at the 19th annual BTIG Charity Day in Manhattan. 'I played there for 10 years, the fans let me know [how they felt] when I played there, and I tried to show them love every time I could. Win or lose, I showed that I was willing to fight.' CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS Despite his disassociation from the team since 2017, Oakley still uses the word 'we' when discussing the Knicks, appreciating the current crop's old-school style. 'I see a lot of energy like when we played, especially the Villanova guys,' Oakley said. 'OG [Anunoby], he's just a different animal. [Mikal] Bridges is smooth, and [Jalen] Brunson, he's not scared of the moment. 'They're competing every night and they're sharing the ball. When it gets tough, they get tougher. They know their roles. And that's the key. Know your role.'
