Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, struggling to make the playoffs, waits for the start of play during a 111-106 Lakers win over the Houston Rockets.
Who is the Greatest Basketball Player of All Time: Michael Jordan or LeBron James?
One person who is NOT touching that debate is retired NBA player, Charles Oakley.
“It’s like comparing Magic to Wilt Chamberlain,” Oakley told me.
A former Chicago Bulls teammate of MJ and Scottie Pippen, Oakley thinks the comparison game with LeBron and MJ is silly. “I don’t know, ‘cause they don’t have nothing better to talk about but make news,” he said.
“I don’t like to compare because they’re two completely different players,” Oakley told me.
“LeBron don’t look like anybody. LeBron is LeBron. Ain’t never been a guy like LeBron. There’s been guys like Michael, like Kobe. We can compare Kobe to Mike.”
Oakley has known James since his high school standout days at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. “When you look at him, he’s the same size he was back then,” Oakley told me of James.
“He didn’t grow too much. We were in Chicago and you know we were, he wanted to play but he was too young but he was ready for the game. When he saw all the other stars in the gym while he was still in high school, it didn’t phase him.”
During his career, James has won three championships total with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that drafted him and he returned to and the Miami Heat.
After leaving Cleveland for the second time, James took his talents to Hollywood where he’s chasing a playoff spot with a young Lakers squad.
Oak is still friends with MJ, too. and is friends with LeBron. He thinks the LeBron/MJ comparison is not cool.
“Two different players,” he said.
GettyMichael Jordan holds the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy and former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson holds the NBA champions Larry O’Brian trophy after winning game six of the NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz.
Oakley also appeared in the first Space Jam movie, with Michael Jordan that starred Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Daffy Duck and names in sports and Hollywood like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Bill Murray, Danny Devito Shawn Bradley and Larry Bird.
He says that he wouldn’t mind appearing in Space Jam 2 with LeBron. “I would love to do it,” Oakley told me.
“I love the part with Mike, it was just great. I would love to be around him for a week or two.”
“We got to play basketball everyday on the court, and it was so much fun.”Space Jam 2 launches July 16, 2021.
Oakley says James had guts to do a Space Jam remake. “I’m glad he was tough enough to do it,” he said.
“ I don’t know why he would do something Mike did, but you gotta do what make you go”