Former Chicago Bulls forward Horace Grant is an underrated piece of the team’s first “three-peat.” A 6-foot-10, 215-pound power forward, Grant was often tasked with matching up against some tough bruisers in an era that leaned more toward physical play and less toward skills and finesse. When asked who was the most physical opponent he ever faced, Grant didn’t hesitate to name Charles Oakley.
The Oak Tree
The man known as the “Oak Tree” was an enforcer of the highest order. At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Oakley was a force in the paint who used his strength to control the low post area. He wasn’t shy about mixing it up with any opponent and had no problem getting under an opposing player’s skin or using hard fouls to get the upper hand.
Grant described Oakley as a cross between two physically imposing big men—the late Anthony Mason and Kevin Willis. And every single time he finished a battle against Oakley, Grant said he needed an extra hour or two in the locker room to lick his wounds and recover from the bruises.
“I think the most physical was Charles Oakley. He was a combination of the late great Anthony Mason and of Kevin Willis. When I faced those guys, from a physical standpoint, I had to go home and take an ice bath and just sit in there because I was black and blue,” shared the bespectacled forward.
Duncan and Barkley
Grant also remembered San Antonio Spurs icon Tim Duncan and former league MVP Charles Barkley as the most offensively-gifted big men he’s ever faced. He said that while Duncan’s subtle greatness was evident from the moment he stepped on NBA courts, Barkley’s was just as impressive, given how undersized he was in comparison to the big men of that era.
“Barkley, 6’4” 6’5” at the most, could run, jump, had great ball handling skills, could shoot it from the outside, great rebounder, and just a great scorer,” said Grant.
More must-reads: