Oakley Slams Barkley
New York’s Charles Oakley is just daring Charles Barkley to throw him through a glass window.
Oakley rekindled his long-running feud with Barkley Sunday by claiming the league is “babysitting” him and the Houston Rockets made a mistake acquiring him.
“They try to make it his team instead of Hakeem’s team and Hakeem (Olajuwon) has won two championships there without him,” Oakley said. “To me, he was a bad addition because they haven’t won anything with him … nothing but adversity.”
Barkley, who will match up against Oakley tonight in Houston, has been mired in controversy since the start of training camp. His troubles began with an altercation in an Orlando bar that ended with Barkley tossing a man through a window. Barkley then threatened to retire before being assigned bodyguards by the NBA.
Most recently, he and Olajuwon have been bickering, and following a loss to Portland last week, Barkley referred to Olajuwon as a “big baby.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with them and I don’t really care,” Oakley said of the Rockets.
Some would argue Barkley has become more of a disruptive force outside the arena and inside the locker room than he ever was on the floor. And through it all, Barkley has avoided suspension and Oakley believes he knows why.
“The league likes him,” Oakley said. “They are babysitting him. He was quiet and he needed some milk so they gave it to him.”
Oakley and Barkley have long been adversaries, dating back to Barkley’s days in Philadelphia.
… It’s like I’m here to play and win, not run for political office.”
Thomas to leave Raptors?
Isiah Thomas might leave the Toronto Raptors as early as this week to work for NBC Television.
The Toronto Star said Thomas, the general manager and part owner of the Raptors, is weighing a lucrative offer from the network that includes on-air basketball analysis and his own show on CNBC. The offer carries a $2 million annual salary, according to one source.
All’s not fine
The NBA fined the Portland Trail Blazers $25,000 and players Kelvin Cato and Rasheed Wallace $2,500 each for violating the league’s rules on baggy shorts.
Toronto’s Popeye Jones was fined $10,000 for a flagrant foul Friday against Boston’s Ron Mercer.
On the courts
Arvydas Sabonis scored 22 of his 24 points in an overpowering first-half performance against Shawn Bradley Monday night as the Portland Trail Blazers routed the visiting Dallas Mavericks 120-75.