Horace Grant Says Charles Oakley Was The Toughest Player He Matched Up Against

Horace Grant revealed he would be black and blue by the time he finished his game against Charles Oakley.

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Credit: Fadeaway World

Horace Grant handpicked a few players who made life difficult for him on the court, and one of them was Charles Oakley, who would leave the forward physically hurting.

This was the case when he matched up to Oakley in the paint. Per NBA.com, “I think the most physical was Charles Oakley. He was a combination of the late great Anthony Mason and of Kevin Willis. When I faced those guys, from a physical standpoint, I had to go home and take an ice bath and just sit in there because I was black and blue.”

It wasn’t surprising that Horace had it coming from one of the toughest players during his era. Oakley was physically a dominant force and was scrappy. This meant taking some blows to earn those points. Horace may have been in his prime, but it wasn’t easy going up against one of the best rebounders and defensive players in the league back then.

On his part, Oakley knew how he operated. Per Basketball Network, “I always had my guys’ back. When you know somebody on your team got your back you can do your job, not worrying about nothing. So I was just that guy wherever I went. It was a part of my game. I loved making sure guys on my team are happy and I tried to make it easier for them every night on the floor.”


Horace Grant Had High Praise For Tim Duncan And Charles Barkley

In the same interview, Horace was generous when lavishing praise on the talent levels Tim Duncan and Charles Barkley possessed.

I would say guys like Tim Duncan and Charles Barkley. It’s obvious how great Duncan was, and Barkley, 6’4” 6’5” at the most, could run, and jump, had great ball handling skills, could shoot it from the outside, great rebounder, and was just a great scorer. So those two guys on the offensive end.”

He also added that Barkley was one of the biggest threats he and the Bulls faced. To me, the biggest threat as a team was the Portland Trail Blazers,” Horace said. “They were very athletic, very talented, and they were physical up to a point.

“As an individual, no question it was Charles Barkley. He didn’t want them to lose. The guy played with an injured elbow, draining the fluid and still going out there putting up 35 points a night.”

Surely, Oakley and Barkley were two names that were more than a stern test for Horace, but he did matchup and play against two incredible athletes in their prime as well.

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Aaron Abhishek is an NBA columnist for Fadeaway World. He graduated from St. Joseph's College with a Bachelor's in Visual Communication and a Master's in journalism.His passion for the sport began when he saw Michael Jordan take his final shot in the NBA, and he considers himself fortunate to have been a part of the Kobe Bryant era. Now he writes basketball news and analysis while waiting for the Los Angeles Lakers to win their 18th title.When not watching and writing basketball, you can find Aaron suited to play cricket, putting in some hard yards at the gym, trying a new coffee, and supporting Arsenal. Expertise: NBAFavorite Team: Los Angeles LakersPrevious Work: MEAWW, Blue Man Hoop, Sportskeeda
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