[SI] Charles Oakley uncut...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/dave_hollander/04/19/oakley/index.html

Still tough after all these years

Charles Oakley doesn't ask for respect; he demands it

By Dave Hollander
Posted: Tuesday April 19, 2005 5:05PM; Updated: Tuesday April 19, 2005 6:13PM

Charles Oakley played 19 seasons in the NBA, most recently last year with Houston. No matter when he's playing, Oakley's blue-collar, do-what- it-takes to win mentality is as "old school" as it gets. Oakley earned an All-Star berth, won two rebounding titles and was named to a pair of All-Defensive teams. Were an "All-Respect" team ever created, Oakley would likely be an all-time first-team selection. Two hours before his golf date with Ahmad Rashad and in the middle of detailing Stephon Marbury's SUV, the man who put the "power" in the power forward position met us at Oakley's Car Wash in Yonkers, New York to discuss the virtues of customer satisfaction, his ongoing intimidation of Charles Barkley and his willingness to help any NBA playoff team if they have the guts to call him.


SI.com: In 2004 Oakley's Car Wash landed on the "Best of Westchester" list for its full service car wash. What are doing to retain the title?

Charles Oakley: You know, you always have to do better than the year before -- make sure the cars still come out clean, make the customers happy, meet and greet, keep a good atmosphere. When you're recognized as the best, that's something you've got to uphold. It starts with the workers and goes to the managers and everybody who runs it -- not just Oakley.

SI.com: Lenny Dykstra calls his Southern California car wash chain the "Taj Mahals" of car washes. How does your full service wash compare with those owned by the former major leaguer?

CO: I heard about his wash. Several guys in sports have car washes.
Jeremiah Trotter with the Eagles has one. Tim Hardaway started one in Miami. When I'm out of town I try to get out and look at them. A lot of guys are getting into it. When you put your name on it, it means something; people respect it more. But you've still got to please the customer.

SI.com: I doubt other "celebrity" washes can beat your "48 hour VIP guarantee," that allows customers to return within 48 hours for a free wash, no questions asked?

CO: I haven't seen that anywhere else yet. It's good, because if it rains or you get it dirty at a construction site, you can come back within 48 hours. We won't pick and choose.

SI.com: One of the first DVD's I bought was the '76 soul classic Car Wash. How did that movie inspire you to get into this business?

CO: I like that movie. There are a lot of films shot with car wash scenes. I don't know why they haven't called me. They can pull up at Oakley's and we'll say, "Hey, what do you need?"

SI.com: Any of those romantic sub-plots in the movie going on at Oakley's?

CO: No, no, no. A lot of things have gone on here but that hasn't happened yet.

SI.com: It has to be a big compliment that people who played with you such as Michael Jordan and Jeff Van Gundy wanted you with them again after they went to other teams. That really says a lot doesn't it?

CO: It says a lot about staying ready for all the challenges that may present themselves. When I went back to play in Washington, I was in great shape because we played all summer in Chicago -- we still do; Michael, me and the younger guys play every September just before camp. They are heated battles, but we still find a way to win the majority of the games. The kids are athletic and young but they've got to respect our skills. And if the young guys get feisty, we get to get feisty right back. I know we're older but we still have a little bounce to ourselves.

SI.com: In '87 and '88 with Bulls you led the league in rebounding while your teammate, Michael Jordan, led the league in scoring. In '89 you joined the Knicks and competed against Jordan in many heated playoff games. Did playing with Jordan as a teammate help you play better against him as an opponent?

CO: Well, I never had to check him. The only time I had to see him was at the jump of the ball. He was more of an outside scorer. But he'd go inside sometimes, and that's my turf, so I'd let him know he's got to pay a toll. That's just part of the game.

SI.com: You were never one to shy away from confrontation on the court. In fact, the only time I've ever seen Charles Barkley visibly scared is when he played against you ...

CO: ...He should be scared every time he sees me.

SI.com: In a '96 game in Houston you threw Barkley to the floor -- it looked like a father scolding a cowering child. Why is Barkley afraid of you?

CO: Back in the day he did a couple of things he shouldn't have, and I'm not the type of guy you play with. He's a good player, and not to take anything from him, but I'm a serious guy. I think you've got to respect people at all times. He tried to disrespect me, and I don't go for that.

SI.com: You liked to send a message early. Sometimes very early, like when you were suspended for punching Jeff McInnis, then of the Los Angeles Clippers, during a morning shoot around. What was that all about?

CO: There were a few guys -- McInnis, Tyrone Hill -- they're just bums. They should be glad to just be able to walk around anywhere these days. I'll see them again.

SI.com: I'm going to give you names of players you played with and against. You give me a one or two sentences on how you feel about each.

SI.com: Vince Carter?

CO: Lots of talent. Hasn't really found himself. But now he's coming into his own. I guess he's growing up and understanding basketball. In Toronto, we had a lot of sideshows with him but he's playing well now.

SI.com: P.J. Brown?

CO: Who? ... He's OK.

SI.com: Patrick Ewing?

CO: Scoring center. One of the best players I played with, besides Michael Jordan.

SI.com: Shaquille O'Neal?

CO: Dominant. Unstoppable. Best player in the game right now.

SI.com: Isiah Thomas?

CO: Feisty. As GM of the Knicks he's in a tough position. It's like he's got a puzzle and he dropped pieces in the trash in ten different places. It'll be hard to put it together.

SI.com: You're originally from Cleveland. The Cavs recently fired Paul Silas. What are your thoughts on that?

CO: I think it was a bad decision. If you're going to fire a guy with 18 games left in the season, it better be because you want to go in a different direction. They were winning; now they're losing. And he was making a playoff run. It must be that somebody didn't get along with him. Why else would you fire him but then hire a bum coach like Tim Floyd. It's just crazy.

SI.com: Previously your coach in Chicago, Floyd landed the head coaching job at USC. How do you think that's going to work out?

CO: He's probably best for the college game. The NBA wasn't really his cup of tea. He wasn't patient enough. You've got be more committed -- more of an X and O guy. He's just a rah-rah guy and that's not going to work in the NBA. You've got to present something to rah-rah about. He just wanted to rah-rah but he had nothing to present.

SI.com: It's a different NBA these days. Players are younger and more sensitive now. You once remarked that "the league is just like day care." What shape is the NBA in now?

CO: Financially, the league is doing well because they're marketing overseas. The bulk of money used to be from the U.S. Now the league is international. Thirty percent of guys in the league are European; when I played you had maybe 10 guys. They were afraid to come because then it was a rough and tough league. Not taking anything away from them, but I don't think today's European players could have played back then. They're skilled, but when you get a lot them in the playoffs they can't hang, because in a series you play the same guys every night -- bumping and grooving. In the course of the season you play a tough guy maybe five times in 82 games. In the playoffs you've got to deal with a tough guy seven times in seven games. Some of those guys can't take that pressure every night.

SI.com: Four years ago you told the New York Post "You got 60 percent of your league on mar1juana." Where would you say that figure is at today?

CO: It's probably gone up. You still see guys getting caught with mar1juana in their cars and in their homes. It's happening every day. If you only have one test every October, you can clean your system out right before that and start smoking until next August. The test is a joke. And right now the league is a joke because the guys don't respect the league, they don't respect the guys who paved the way for them and they don't respect management. You see guys on the court and they look lost. They can't run an offense. When a time out is called, they don't even know where to go.

SI.com: The NBA shouldn't look like a developmental league, should it?

CO: I don't care if they come out young but whenever they come to the league, they've got to be ready. They've got to understand that it's like the army; you've got to be prepared to fight, to do whatever it takes in your time there. If you're a top-five draft pick, you ought to be good enough to play right away, no matter what team you go to.

SI.com: You played in one NBA Finals and several Eastern Conference finals as a New York Knick. What's wrong with today's Knicks?

CO: I think it's the city. They can't handle the city and the fans don't give them a break. If you're not a tough man, they're going to let you know. And some of them can't handle the pressure. They've got a bunch of guys making good money who can't play together. You might make a lot of money but that doesn't make you a great player.

SI.com: Earlier this season Stephon Marbury declared himself the best point guard in the NBA. Was that an accurate statement?

CO: I like Stephon. He's got the tough mind. I don't think a lot of guys on his team have a tough mind. I hear a lot of talk about how he doesn't make other guys better and that wherever he goes he doesn't win. Steph has to have guys around him who understands the game and can play the game. I think he's just got to realize that he's got to do the stuff the coach wants him to do. When he doesn't, other players will say he's a ball hog. But it's hard to say why the Knicks don't win.

SI.com: The playoffs are almost here. If somebody calls, would you play?

CO: If a playoff team calls? Hell, yeah. I work out everyday. I've worked out for about four weeks straight. I worked out with Jayson Williams recently in Chicago. I'm surprised nobody's picked him up. He's in great shape. Teams say they need help, and there are people out here who can help, yet they all say they don't want to get involved with them.

SI.com: I guess they're concerned about image.

CO: They always say image but then they'll contradict themselves. It's a bunch of bull**** to me.



Dave Hollander's book, 52 Weeks, a collection of his interviews with famous sports figures and personal stories about his experiences in sports comes out in Fall 2005 with The Lyons Press.