Charles Oakley as an NBA power forward was an enforcer. He banged, slammed opponents around, rebounded, defended, set great screens, and was able to hit open mid-range jumpers. And he has a lot to teach today’s young players. And he’s having a great life off the court right now, but would love to become an NBA assistant. The New York Times reports:
“I think I have a lot to teach these young guys,” Oakley, 46, said. “Especially on the defensive end.”
Oakley said his former teammate Patrick Ewing did a great job this season as an assistant with the Orlando Magic. He said he could have similar success with the Knicks, and told the team’s president, Donnie Walsh, just that.
“Nowadays, you may have better athletes,” he said. “But unless they’re taught, they aren’t going to do anything in the league. I talked with Donnie after the last home game and told him that I think I have a lot to offer this team. You can’t just score more points than last year without playing defense.”
I think Oak would be terrific. He’d tell players what they really need to hear and not sugarcoat anything. And if a player acts out of line, Oakley will happily smack him around for a while.
