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“He Can’t Say My Name”: Despite Uncanny Charles Barkley Similarities, Michael Jordan’s “Bodyguard” Once Unveiled ‘Resentment’ for HoF

Published 10/16/2023, 9:10 AM EDT

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Today, Charles Barkley is one of the most popular sports media personalities in the world. As an NBA analyst for TNT’s “Inside the NBA’, the former 1993 MVP has had his fair share of controversies in and outside the court. Most notably, he started off his stint with the Houston Rockets in a heated altercation with a former NBA veteran in 1996.

Years after the fact, this NBA veteran spoke about the heated altercation as well as the relationship he shared with Barkley.

Charles Oakley unveiled his ‘resentment’ for HoF Charles Barkley

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Former NBA veteran Charles Oakley is considered by many in the NBA community as one of the fiercest players on the court. He never backed down from any fight and, as a power forward, he consistently ranked as one of the best rebounders and defensive players in the NBA.

In a recent interview on the Tamron Hall Show, Tamron Hall introduced the former NBA veteran by saying, “My first guest is an NBA great. He holds a special place in the hearts and memories of players and fans. It has been said that Charles Oakley has had more unbelievable encounters as Forrest Gump and nearly as many fights as Mike Tyson.

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Charles Oakley was on the show to promote his new book, The Last Enforcer. After Tamron Hall covered the inspiration behind Charles Oakley’s memoir, she asked him about his relationship with Barkley. Oakley replies, “Barkley’s Barkley, he’s a great player, I’ll give him that, but everything else…He works for TNT now. He knows he can’t say my name in his show. If he do, imma have to come see him.”

 

The host then points out the striking similarities between the two NBA greats. Charles Oakley agrees as he says, “Yes, we do. We play the same position. Same number. Same first name. Almost same last names…maybe that’s a reason too.”. As they both laugh at the joke, the host asks Charles Oakley about his deep friendship with Michael Jordan.

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The friendship between Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley

Tamron Hall mentions, “I think it was him (MJ) and others who said that if you want a true friend and someone that will always have your back, you (Oakley) are that guy.” Charles Oakley got drafted to the Chicago Bulls in 1985, where he spent three years with Michael Jordan. During his time there, he made sure to protect Jordan from the players that were trying to attack him. And they have stayed friends since.

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Oakley is one of Michael Jordan’s close friends and is a part of his inner circle. Similarly, both Oakley and Jordan have had a falling out with Charles Barkley. What are your thoughts on Charles Barkley’s resentment for the Hall of Famer Charles Barkley?

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Written by:

Akhil Chakravarthy

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Akhil is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having represented his state at the National level, he combined his knowledge of basketball with his keen interest in the intricacies of the NBA, delivering in-depth coverage of the teams and players. To hone his understanding of the inner workings of the game, he closely follows the analysis of popular NBA insiders and reporters like Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania.
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Edited by:

Donna Eva