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Chron: Oakley said, "Management is getting too soft"

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Rockets34Legend, Mar 20, 2004.

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  1. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Contributing Member

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    http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2458423

    Excuses don't cut it with Oakley

    Newest Rocket calls it like he sees it

    OAKLAND, Calif. -- New to the team, Charles Oakley did not want to rush to judgment.

    He chose to be patient throughout the walk up the stairs from the Rockets' locker room to the practice court. He held his tongue throughout the warmups before practice and the practice itself.

    Even through the shooting drills that followed practice, he decided against sharing his thoughts to teammates -- now that they had been together for so long -- about what was wrong with them.

    Finally, several hours into his Rockets career, he was just about ready to speak up.

    "Management is getting too soft," he said after his first Rockets practice Thursday, at first speaking of the league itself. "A guy comes in and his finger hurt or he's stuck in traffic. Too many excuses. And I've seen some today. Already. Well, just some little things.

    "I'm going to be stand-up. But excuses, I think it's time for them to go out the window. I'm going to speak up when it needs to be spoken up. I'm a team player. If the team is right, I'm going to stick up with the team. If the manager is right, I'm going to stick up for the manager. I'm not going to be taking sides, just to take sides."

    Oakley did not offer details about the excuses he had heard in his first day with the Rockets. But that was enough to offer a taste of his style as the league's Old Faithful gusher of opinions.

    The risk in that is he could offend players who had been with the Rockets for longer than a practice, plane flight, shootaround and a game. But Oakley's reputation precedes him, and his new teammates said they had no problem with adding a voice to the locker room.

    "It's a free country; he can say what he wants to say," forward Maurice Taylor said. "He can handle the team anyway he wants to. As far as me, I don't need any enforcing. I'm a grown man. But at the same time, from his reputation in the league, that's the type of dude he is. So you accept it and go with it. That's not the worst thing you can have a guy do."

    Said guard Mark Jackson: "We have guys who want to win. If a guy is genuinely making points, trying to make us better individually and collectively, it has to be accepted. That's not a concern at all. They understand that we're guys who have done it and know what it takes."

    Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has said throughout the season that he believes in leadership by example.

    "I didn't bring him in for that," Van Gundy said of Oakley's determination to mentor. "I think the best leadership is by example. Just do your job. Charles does that. I think that's the best leadership."
     
    #1 Rockets34Legend, Mar 20, 2004
  2. birat

    birat Member

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    Good start fo Charles..
     
    #2 birat, Mar 20, 2004
  3. Matador

    Matador Member

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    The guy does realize he has a 10 day contract right?
     
    #3 Matador, Mar 20, 2004
  4. a-rock

    a-rock Member

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    soo true!

    oakley reminds me alot of warren sapp, both ar washed-up, over the hill type of players who are only in the league, because they´re running their mouths...
     
    #4 a-rock, Mar 20, 2004
  5. Sane

    Sane Member

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    You do realize that there's no way he'd sign for us without being guaranteed that he'd play in the playoffs right?
     
    #5 Sane, Mar 20, 2004
  6. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    Looks like Mo is p'd already:

     
    #6 Easy, Mar 20, 2004
  7. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Contributing Member

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    I don't think JVG cares what Oakley says. He signed him for his play, not his mouth. He knows what Oakley is about and feels he can add some veteranship to this team along w/ some muscle.
     
    #7 Rockets34Legend, Mar 20, 2004
  8. RunninRaven

    RunninRaven Contributing Member
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    I never could stand Oakley...if he does nothing but cause trouble on this team, I'm going to be pissed at Rocket management for this signing.
     
    #8 RunninRaven, Mar 20, 2004
  9. bejezuz

    bejezuz Contributing Member

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    I thought March 1st was the deadline for playoff rosters. If that is correct, Oakley can't play in the playoffs even if we give him a full contract.
     
    #9 bejezuz, Mar 20, 2004
  10. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Contributing Member
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    Great. Oakley comes in and is already starting trouble. We were doing just fine without Oakley. Yao didn't seem to be too worried about Shaq before, no matter what Oakley said. I agree with Taylor, we don't need an 'enforcer'. Are guys were doing just fine without Oakley here.
     
    #10 FranchiseBlade, Mar 20, 2004
  11. BigCountry132

    BigCountry132 Contributing Member

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    What he said is fine with me, this team needs to be woken up the way they have been playing lately.
     
    #11 BigCountry132, Mar 20, 2004
  12. DavidS

    DavidS Contributing Member

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    :D I love it.

    Think about this. What do you think that Les and CD think about paying millions out to the players that don't perform well?

    "No excuses"...remember that?
     
    #12 DavidS, Mar 20, 2004
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2004
  13. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Contributing Member
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    The team does need to wake up. But is having an over the hill thug come in and starting to whine the real way to wake the team up?
     
    #13 FranchiseBlade, Mar 20, 2004
  14. across110thstreet

    across110thstreet Contributing Member

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    Does anyone see a "closed door players only" meeting coming soon? I think its right around the corner.
     
    #14 across110thstreet, Mar 20, 2004
  15. AMS

    AMS Contributing Member

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    I dont think that Oakley will be invited
     
    #15 AMS, Mar 20, 2004
  16. MacBeth

    MacBeth Member

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    As someone who watched Charles and listened to Oakspeak for years in Toronto, I can tell you that he often says the right thing the wrong way, but is a thourough hypocrite when it comes to walking the walk.

    The same man who bemoans the selfish nature of today's players is the one who, not once but twice missed key games down the stretch fighting for playoff position because he chose to get into fights over gambling debts and girlfirends at pre-game warmups with opposing players, and never even admitted he was wrong to do so, instead saying it wa his own business.

    The same man who rants about the style over substance aspect of today's game will, you will see, throw at least one ball away a game, guaranteed, with a behind the back pass to a startled fan in the 3rd row.

    The same man who challenged Vince Carter ( and his mother) to bring it in the big game offset Carter's 50 point games and 35 plus game 7 against Philly by trying to beat Iverson 1 on 1 on the break with the Raps up by 1 in the closing seconds. Iverson stole the ball, Philly made the shot, Carter's last second off balance 3 just missed, and Oakley blamed the UNC graduation.


    You'll get used to it, sadly.
     
    #16 MacBeth, Mar 20, 2004
  17. DavidS

    DavidS Contributing Member

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    I thought that was a Rudy thing: The Pamper sessions.
     
    #17 DavidS, Mar 20, 2004
  18. pcheung

    pcheung Member

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    Hey! Sounds like Pippen Redux!!
     
    #18 pcheung, Mar 20, 2004
  19. Raven

    Raven Member

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    Maybe JVG hired Oakley, because he felt some things needed to be said by a fellow player, and not by a coach.

    Raven
     
    #19 Raven, Mar 20, 2004
  20. Rocket Fan

    Rocket Fan Member

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    Mo isn't one to be saying he doesn't need any enforcing.. based on his past problems
     
    #20 Rocket Fan, Mar 20, 2004
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