Back In The Day NBA

Charles Barkley's Beef With Fellow NBA Great Has Apparently Simmered

Shandel Richardson

Bulls guard Michael Jordan and Suns forward Charles Barkley face off in the 1993 NBA Finals.
Bulls guard Michael Jordan and Suns forward Charles Barkley face off in the 1993 NBA Finals. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It appears NBA heavyweights Charles Barkley and Charles Oakley are back on good terms. Well, at least better terms. Barkley and Oakley often feuded during their playing days in the 1980s and `90s. After being told Barkley said something nice about him, Oakley responded with some compliments during an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio.

"He can't say nothing but something nice about me," Oakley said. "He knows what it is. I'm a toll booth, you ain't getting through unless you pay our tolls."

Oakley recently told a story of slapping Barkley in the face during an NBA lockout meeting in the 1990s. Both players were known for their tough-guy personas but Oakley often took it to another level. He was known as one of the league's top enforcers, dating to his days with the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls and later with the New York Knicks.

Still, Oakley have moved past their differences. He expects a cordial meeting the next time they see each other.

"He's got to come me, " Oakley said. "I'm the boss. I'm the CEO. He works for me even though he works for TNT ... I'll give him respect."

Oakley even offered more kind words.

"He's OK," Oakley said. "I just love his game. That's why I say he's one of the top four or five of all-time [NBA players]. I gave him his flowers. He's got to realize you've got to water them, too."

Wife of Scottie Pippen admits to relationship with son's teammate

Stephen A. Smith makes Bill Walton comparison in Knicks-Celtics series

Shaquille feeds into Cooper Flagg, lottery conspiracy

Published
Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here