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“I didn’t punch Charles Barkley but I did slap the sh*t out of him”: Charles Oakley breaks down his altercation with the Suns forward from 30 years ago

Samir Mehdi
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“I didn’t punch Charles Barkley but I did slap the sh*t out of him”: Charles Oakley breaks down his altercation with the Suns forward from 30 years ago

Charles Oakey claims that he never punched Charles Barkley and only slapped the ‘you know what’ out of him in 1990. 

Charles Oakley didn’t receive the moniker of ‘The Enforcer’ by happenstance. Oakley earned this nickname with the way he played the game. His physical style of play elevated to another level upon reaching the New York Knicks and being under the tutelage of the mastermind behind the Showtime Lakers, Pat Riley. 

Charles Barkley wasn’t a slouch either when it came to being a tough and gritty player in the NBA. When he wasn’t living up to the moniker of ‘Round Mound of Rebound’, Barkley was throwing guys out of windows and regretting that the window wasn’t high enough off the ground.

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Both Barkley and Oakley, given their ‘explosive’ personalities, would get into an altercation during a 1990 players only meeting, leading to Oak slapping the 1993 MVP across the face. There had been speculation on whether or not it was a slap or a punch by Oak cleared this up in an interview with Shannon Sharpe. 

Charles Oakley on slapping Charles Barkley in 1990. 

While promoting his new book, the former Chicago Bull stopped over at Club Shay Shay and broke down what transpired between him and Charles Barkley during that lockout season. 

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According to him, he never punched Charles Barkley, but he did slap the ‘you know what’ out of him. In another interview, Oak would say the same thing but replaced ‘you know what’ with a more profane word.

While Chuck did say that him and Oak were on cordial terms, the latter claimed that there is still beef between the two. He would go on to say that he doesn’t invite Chuck out to play golf anymore with Michael Jordan and company due to their falling out with him. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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