In a recent interview with Betway Insider, the legendary NBA star Charles Oakley shared his insights on the current season, his experience while playing in the league and his appearance in the popular Netflix documentary dubbed The Last Dance.
The former professional basketball player has always been formidable before his competitors and team members.
Charles began his NBA career by playing for the Chicago Bulls at a young age, from 1985 to 1988. The former player revealed he managed to command respect as a rookie in the Bulls by working very hard. In fact, he would always come early and work out with the team even if it was not mandatory just to show that he was willing to do whatever it takes to get farther ahead in his career.
Oakley’s time with the Chicago Bulls ended when he was traded to New York. He revealed he wasn’t sad about the move because he understood it was just business. In New York, his aim was to make a name for himself by playing at high levels every time.
It worked out because he ended up playing for the team for 10 years without any problems. He gained fans who liked him for his dedication to the sport.
Speaking about The Last Dance, Oakley said the documentary helped the younger fans to respect the players in that era, He insisted the 80s and 90s were the hottest eras with amazing sports, music and entertainment.
Talking about his NBA legacy, Oakley revealed that his name is mentioned a lot, especially around conversations involving toughness.
He said people talk about him a lot, even though those who played 20 years ago are not mentioned unless they have championship rings.
If he was still playing basketball, Oakley revealed he would’ve loved to play with Phoenix. Oakley believes they would have won a championship if they had a tough man last year. In fact, he is convinced that if Phoenix had a tough guy like Bobby Portis, they would have defeated Milwaukee.
The veteran believes that Phoenix needed Portis’s abilities such as shooting the three, posting, rebounding, athleticism and toughness.
The reputable basketball player said no current player reminded him of his time on the court because he has not yet seen any rough or tough players. However, he reveals the Bulls made a great transaction during summer and got Lonzo Ball and DeRozan, who are great leaders and a great addition to the team.
In a round of quickfire questions with Betway, Oakley revealed the best teammate he has ever played with was Michael Jordan. They became friends and he would always answer when Charles called. Moreover, they “talked mess” to each other but never crossed boundaries and have the utmost respect for each other.
According to Oakley, the toughest opponent he ever faced was Shaq because he was not only huge but tough as well. Moreover, Shaq liked to dunk on people and was a force to reckon with. Skill wise, Kevin McHale and Tim Duncan were also formidable rivals.
The NBA veteran revealed his best career moment was getting drafted and making it to the finals in 1993-94. His worst career moment was losing in game 7 in 1993-94 in Houston.
The best coach Oakley has ever played for was Butch Carter because not only did he understand the game, but he was also the best timeout coach in game situations, according to Oakley.
He gave players the opportunity to be great, more so during dead ball timeouts because players would get back into the game with two plays. The former NBA star also revealed his all-time NBA starting five as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Durant.
Source: NBA lines site Betway”