Charles Oakley preferred to play with LeBron James over Michael Jordan, and he had his reasons for it.
Speaking to Kevin Garnett on KG Certified, the New York Knicks legend shed light on the comparison between James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and later focussed on who he would play with:
“Michael would take the shot, and LeBron will pass the ball. They asked me, ‘who do you want to play with, LeBron or Mike? And I said, Mike is my best friend, But Mike ain’t passing me the ball. He’s okay if I get a shot today or tomorrow. But that’s just how he got to be Mike.'”
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Oakley and Jordan were teammates during the former’s time with the Chicago Bulls, but he was traded before the franchise began its glory days. Later, the two reunited in 2002 when the forward signed as a free agent with the Washington Wizards.
One can take Oakley’s words when it comes to taking shots in crucial junctures of the game. The ultimate trust came from MJ when he saw players grind it out. So it is entirely believable that he backed himself to make tough shots.
Michael Jordan Once Fondly Called Charles Oakley “His Bodyguard”
Such was the close friendship between Oakley and Jordan that the latter fondly called the Knicks icon “his bodyguard.”
“That’s my bodyguard,” Jordan remarked in an archived Chicago Tribune article. “I’m going to be like a big brother to him. We have a great relationship, and that’s how the whole team has to be. One person has to care for another person. We’ve got to learn to help each other out in bad situations.”
In his three seasons with the Bulls, Oakley was one of the more reliable and productive players averaging around 10 points and 8 rebounds per game, and that saw him earn Jordan’s trust.
Of late, the likes of Charles Barkley and Isiah Thomas made headlines with their thoughts and soured relationship with Jordan. It’s heartwarming to see how Oakley and the Bulls superstar share a wholesome bond to date.
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