“He is like a big brother to me.” Back in the late 1980s, when a young Pippen joined the Chicago Bulls, Oakley took him under his wing. And this loyalty has stood the test of time. Not just this, Pippen once recalled, sharing how Oak didn’t just show him how to survive in the NBA but how to navigate life off the court, too. But their network does not stop at the courts. And sometimes, it goes beyond the games—into family circles, and sometimes, even into the world of housewives.

We’ve seen it time and time again—like how Pau Gasol stayed close to Vanessa Bryant and her daughters long after Kobe’s passing, treating them like his own family. Or how Ayesha Curry and Savannah James have shown up for each other through the years, with Steph and LeBron James‘ rivalry never once getting in the way. The league might be built on competition, but behind the scenes, it’s often love, loyalty, and lifelong friendship that hold everything together.

Larsa Pippen’s love life has played out like its own NBA side plot, continually pulling her back into that world. After a 23-year marriage to Scottie Pippen, she navigated the spotlight solo—briefly dating rapper Future, then having short flings with Tristan Thompson and Malik Beasley. But it was her relationship with Marcus Jordan that really grabbed headlines. They went from “just friends” to nearly planning a wedding before calling it off in July 2024. Through it all, Larsa stayed tied to the NBA circle—her relationships always looping her back into the league’s inner social world, and this time, it’s through a bond with Charles Oakley’s wife.

Angela Oakley may be new to The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but she’s no stranger to the NBA circle—and that includes a familiar face from The Real Housewives of Miami: Larsa Pippen. In fact, Angela admitted it herself in an exclusive chat with The Daily Dish back in March: “She knows my husband.” That husband, of course, is Charles Oakley—NBA enforcer, Bulls legend, and one of Scottie Pippen’s earliest mentors back when they were teammates on the Chicago Bulls. So while Angela and Larsa may not be besties, they’re definitely connected through decades of basketball history.

And it’s definitely more than just a surface-level connection. Angela made it clear that Charles and Larsa “are long-time friends,” and when you lay it all out, it tracks. Charles Oakley played with a young Scottie Pippen on the Bulls back in the late ’80s—Scottie was just a rookie, and Charles was already a seasoned vet. In a 2018 Players Tribune interview, Scottie said, “Oak was tough really my first year. But he was like a big brother to me. He really showed me the ropes, not only on the court but off the basketball court.” He even added, “That’s really where we bonded mostly. You know, he was definitely sending me down the rookie path, but I was learning a lot from Oak.”

And now? Larsa, who spent 23 years married to Scottie, ends up dating Marcus Jordan—yep, the son of Michael Jordan, who just so happened to be another of Oakley’s Bulls teammates. So yeah, this isn’t just Housewives drama—this is prime-time NBA history with a reality TV twist.

Charles Oakley weighs in on Jordan-Pippen feud

The fallout between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen isn’t just a recent drama sparked by The Last Dance — at least not according to Charles Oakley. While most fans believe the 2020 docuseries caused the rift, Oakley, a longtime friend of MJ and former Bulls teammate, thinks this feud has been brewing for decades. Speaking with Betway, Oak said, “I know everybody thinks it’s some feud from The Last Dance; I think it’s something else that happened… Some stuff happened 10, 20 years ago but now he’s got a platform to talk about it.” In Oak’s view, Pippen’s frustration has deep roots, and the documentary just reignited long-held resentment.

Pippen has been pretty vocal about his anger over how The Last Dance portrayed him — not just as a sidekick, but as someone whose contributions felt sidelined in favor of Jordan’s hero narrative. Oakley sees it as a matter of pride and identity for Pippen. “Scottie feels like he’s got six rings, Michael’s got six rings… He feels like he’s better than Mike. He said it back then, a lot of people just didn’t hear him say it,” Oakley explained. From Pippen’s perspective, he wasn’t just Robin to Jordan’s Batman — he was carrying the load too, as the defensive anchor, secondary scorer, and primary playmaker. And now that he has a platform — his memoir, interviews — he’s making sure his side of the story is finally heard.

As for where Oakley stands in all this? He seems to be leaning toward Jordan. Despite acknowledging Pippen’s greatness, Oakley doesn’t hold back. He pointed out how Pippen delayed surgery during their final title run and took subtle jabs about priorities. “Personally, I believe that Michael could’ve won without Scottie,” Oakley told Shannon Sharpe. And in perhaps the most telling quote, he added, “In sports… they don’t do that for friendship, they do it for winning championships.” So while he respects both legends, it’s clear Oak’s loyalty lies with MJ — and he doesn’t see that broken bond ever being repaired. “No, I think it’s over… It wasn’t great from the get-go,” he admitted bluntly.