19-year NBA vet and current Bobcats assistant Charles Oakley (above) remains a revered figure in New York City, though Oak’s in no mood to pretend he’s got warm feelings for the Knicks, telling the New York Post’s Tim Bontemps, “they’ve got hype. But hype don’t win nothing.” In addition to criticizing Amare’ Stoudemire (“he’s a West Coast player trying to translate to the East Coast…and the longer he plays in the East, the more his body’s gonna get damaged,”), Mike D’antoni (“this is his fourth year. He’s had a lot of time…finesse, it’s not gonna work”), but saves his most pointed words for the unmentioned paymaster, James Dolan, calling the Knicks, “the craziest organization in the world”.
“[The Knicks] don’t want nothing to do with me,” said Oakley, who played for the Knicks from 1988-98. “I don’t know why. I tried to deal with them on several occasions. I’m not gonna keep trying.
“They don’t like Patrick (Ewing), either. They won’t give Patrick a job, so I know they won’t give me a job. Patrick should have a job before anyone. He’s probably the best guy since [Walt] Frazier, [Earl] Monroe … he’s the main guy on the list.”
“Y’all should have tried to call me and talk to me, and maybe we could have gotten LeBron to New York. You went to Isiah [Thomas], and some of these other guys that don’t know the guy.”
Speaking of Thomas, Oakley did little to hide his feelings about the former team president.
“I don’t understand how he even got a job with management,” said Oakley, 47. “He had nothing to do with the Knicks, then he talked bad about the Knicks … If I see him, he’d better turn around and go the other way.”
Oak always has something to say.He helped us alot but that doesn’t mean he’d be a good coach. Maybe the knick management team wont use him because he’s a know it all.Always talking but saying nothing. He’s another Barkley.
Right now, i’m glad we didn’t get LeBron the way he seems to choke when it’s money time. Charles, just try and take care of those Bobcats and show someone that you know what you’re talking about.