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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