Charles Oakley, hard as oak

1994 The Knicks send two players to the All-Star Game in Minneapolis. Patrick Ewing and John Starks. Pat Riley, the coach, is pissed. According to him, this honor should first have gone to his number 34, Charles Oakley, known as “The Oak”. ” It’s a joke! », exclaims the coach of the crowd as he reads the list of substitutes for the All-Star game, chosen by the coaches of the Eastern Conference. ” Charles is our pillar this season. I’m as happy for Pat and John as I am for him. He deserved this recognition. »

It is hard to believe that the mass of 2.06 m and 111 kg could have gone unnoticed. A team player par excellence, Oakley uses his imposing frame and power to bring order to NBA rackets. In the American League, we call it an “enforcer” and every team aiming for a title must have one. Oakley does the dirty work. However, he is not a “dirty player”. He is muscular, but without cheating. “Gotham” is strong in all the right places. Especially when it gets hot. He likes to fight. And while he doesn’t jump as high as Derrick Coleman or as fast as Dennis Rodman, he knows how to sniff the ball. Twice in his career he had more than a thousand rebounds in a season (1987 and 88). ” He is a warrior ,” Pat Riley continues before adding the ultimate compliment: “ Charles is essential! I wish all my players were like him. Not because of his style of play, but because of his state of mind. »

At that time “Oak” was already thirty years old. He always worked in the shadow of the stars. First Michael Jordan with the Bulls. Then Pat Ewing and John Starks in “The Big Apple.” When he learned of his departure to the Knicks in 1988, “MJ,” who had lost a very close friend, saw red. ” Who will defend now? »

Protégé of Michael Jordan

The Charles Oakley-Bill Cartwright transfer will cause a lot of discussion. A priori, Chicago has no reason to give up a top rebounder (No. 2 in the category in 1987 and 88, 5 times in the Top 10 between 1987 and 94) and a 24-year-old super defender against a 31-year-old backup pivot on the downswing. But the explosion ofHorace Grant makes Oakley’s departure less painful. And the Bulls want to bring back an experienced big man (Catwright is 2.16m), capable of relieving the Jordan-Pippen scoring duo (Knick averaged 17.5 points in 1986-87 and 11.1 in 1987-88 per 20 minutes).

Her Majesty will never digest what she considers a trade of shame. Events would prove GM Jerry Krause right about Chicago’s first threepeat, but Jordan definitely doesn’t like Cartwright. Some even suspect that he deliberately sent terrible passes to ex-Nick to put him in impossible situations… It’s easy for Michael in retrospect to criticize Cartwright’s turnover numbers. In practice, Phil Jackson is careful not to face two players who clearly cannot manage each other. Bill would leave Chicago in 1994, during Jordan’s first retirement. The Bulls were defeated 4-3 in the conference semifinals. Their Tormentors: Charles Oakley’s Knicks.

In the 1993-94 season, with averages of 11.8 points and 11.8 rebounds, it appeared that “The Oak” would participate in the All-Star Game for the first time in his nine-year career. The coaches decided otherwise. ” I don’t know what is left for me to do. I have respect from the players, but not from the coach, obviously. Maybe because they didn’t have a chance to face me on the field… »

For All-Star weekend, the Cleveland native is getting ready to stay home, with his toes spread. ” It’s not a big deal, there’s more to life than basketball. And then I still hope to participate one day. »

Outstanding defensive stats

Last second twist: Alonzo Mourning, injured, has to decline the call. Oakley replaces him at short notice and enjoys the recognition he deserves. We can say that Father Charles is misunderstood. Last season, Donnie Walsh, Indiana’s general manager, called him “raw.” A rude bully, Oakley hasn’t changed, but people’s opinions have. Walsh admits: “ This guy never stops working. He leaves his intestines on the floor. »

Pat Williams, Orlando’s general manager, highlights his team’s main weakness by stating, “ We need Charles Oakley! »

In addition to the classic statistics, the Knicks coaches recorded some very telling ones that testify to the combativeness – or not – of the players. During the 1993-94 season, “Hrast” recovered 34 of the 36 turnovers he threw. In total, he registered 139 assists (that is, he prevented 139 baskets by helping a defeated teammate in defense) and made 31 forced passes. Bullion gold in Pat Riley’s defensive system, locked from locked. To return to the classic statistics, he is the most skilled player of the New York five.

« To think that all the teams have contacted us to try and get him back… ,” breathes Pat Riley, relieved by this last-minute call to the All-Star Game.

« Everyone says I have no relaxation, comments Reverend Charles, but that doesn’t stop me from constantly fighting for the ball. I don’t know many players who like to go into contact for 30 or 40 minutes per match. My rule is to take a position and never, absolutely never slack off. I have it in my heart. I am physically and mentally strong. You will always find someone stronger than you, but that doesn’t stop you from doing your best. Whether they bring me Karl Malone or heavy pivots, I will not give up. Never. »

Charles was not 7 years old when he left Cleveland to live with his grandparents on a farm in Alabama. It was there, seeing his grandfather Julius getting up at 4:30 in the morning to go to work in the fields, that he understood the concept of work. ” He did all this for us. When he came home, my grandmother had everything ready for him after taking care of eight children. »

This sense of sacrifice has inhabited “Oak” for two decades. In his favorite phrase, his role is to “make it easier for Ewing and Starks.” ” I realized at a very young age that nothing is easy. I saw neighborhoods where kids had everything, even what they didn’t ask for. And that didn’t stop them from doing stupid things. I wasn’t a saint, but I never got into trouble. »

Ranked in the Top 10 while arriving from Division II NCAA

In high school, Charles was better known for his performances as a linebacker for the US football team than for his performances in sneakers. However, he chose a basketball scholarship at Virginia Union University, in Division II of the NCAA. He became the best rebounder in Panther history and finished his career by being named the “Division II Player of the Year” with 24 points and 17 shots per game.

Drafted in 1985 (9th pick) by Cleveland, his hometown, he was immediately traded to Chicago. Without a doubt one of the most bogus trades in the history of American professional basketball. Selected to the starting five at the end of his first season, he continued over the next two with 163 games as a starter and averages of 13.4 points and 13 rebounds. This is not enough to earn respect.

On June 27, 1988, he was traded for an aging Bill Cartwright. Jordan may be kidding, but the sequence of events will confirm the Bulls’ risk-taking. However, this transfer remains one of Oakley’s worst memories. This trade robs him of the NBA title, a trophy he will never win. Maybe even three, the ones collected by Horace Grant after he left. Or even six. No one knows if during Jordan’s first retirement he would have gone to seek his fortune elsewhere, like Grant. No need to repeat the story. During “MJ’s” first retirement, Oakley was in the right place at the right time, namely the NBA Finals. We also won’t repeat the outcome of this showdown against the Rockets in 1994 (3-4). New York leads the series 3-2 before losing the last two meetings, played in Houston, by 2 and 6 points.

During the summer that followed, Oakley no longer spoke of pain or disappointment. The only thing that makes him raise his voice is the salary. Paid $2 million a year (a sum that makes you smile today), he estimates that his value increases every week. He deserves to earn at least double, if only for the example he shows his partners. ” I always tell them to think about only one thing: possession of the ball. Concentrate on offense and empty yourself on defense. »

He also has a message for his opponents. ” The guys up front must know they’re in for a tough night. If they’re used to giving up 30 points, I limit them to 15. After the match, all they want to do is put ice on their bruises and go to bed. I don’t mean to hurt anyone, but in an NBA game, you have to win. »

Generous on and off the field

In the mid-90s, Charles was single, but not selfish. He opened a car wash and laundromat in his old neighborhood in Cleveland to create jobs. In New York, he supports many budding artists. He founded Oaktree Entertainment, a record label, to produce new talent. Charles gives his all on and off the field. His generosity, as has been said, will never be rewarded. When Jordan isn’t the one giving the Knicks problems, he is Reggie Miller. Or… Pat Riley with Miami.

During the summer of 1998, Charles Oakley was traded for Marcus Camby, the Raptors on the rise. Unfortunately, Vince Carter and Traci McGrady have a tendency to step on each other’s toes. His career ended in a bit of a mess. Three years in Canada, one in Chicago, one in Washington (with Michael Jordan…), one in Houston…

With Jeff Van Gundy and Patrick Ewing (assistant coach) on the bench and Mark Jackson as Steve Francis’ backup, the “New York Family” is celebrating a big reunion. He played his last game with the Rockets at age 40 in 2003-04. The desire to return is burning regularly…

Long retired, he signed a ten-day contract with Houston that drew smiles from the crowd. In 2007, at the age of 44, he still said that he was thinking about returning, that Dallas, Cleveland, New York and Miami were interested, but that he would not return without a major check… Three years later, he found Michael Jordan in the Bobcats, this time as an assistant. Short term experience due to health issues…

Since then, he has been on the front pages of New York’s dailies as the sworn enemy of James Dolan, the sulphurous owner of the Knicks. In 2015, he treated him publicly of a “dirty boy”, while poetically referring to his parentage. Then in 2017 there was a standoff as Oakley was completely kicked out of the room mid-match. A media legal battle ensued, and Charles Oakley, charged with assault, harassment and trespassing, finally accepted a plea deal to avoid trial by agreeing in return not to return to the Knicks’ room for a year. Except in the process, he in turn filed charges against James Dolan for defamation, assault and false imprisonment.

A dispute that has lasted for eight years, and which is still not resolved…