Michael Jordan On His Friendship With Charles Oakley: "That's My Bodyguard"

Michael Jordan didn't have too many friends when he was tearing up the NBA during his career. The amount of success he enjoyed meant that other players were looking to bring him down, and those that didn't often want something from him. Even the friendships he did have with players like Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley didn't last too long after retirement, MJ has issues with both. 

One of the players that have stuck with him through his very early days though, is Charles Oakley. Oakley didn't spend a lot of his career on the Chicago Bulls he was traded away before they started winning. But when he was on the team in the 1980s, he made sure to protect Michael Jordan from the players that were trying to attack him. And they have stayed friends since Oakley is a part of MJ's inner circle. 

Michael Jordan Described How His Friendship With Charles Oakley Began

Michael Jordan played most games in nearly every season he was in the NBA. But in his sophomore year, injury prevented him from playing more than 18. It was a frustrating time for MJ, but that's when his relationship with the rookie Oakley began. An old Chicago Tribune article explained how it happened, with inputs from Michael Jordan himself. 

"Last week, I asked him what he was doing over the All-Star break," Jordan said. He didn't know what to do, being a rookie and all. I felt sorry for him. I told him to come with me and that he wouldn't have to pay for anything. I made sure everything was taken care of. He really is a nice guy. I like Charles Oakley. 

"This will give him something to look forward to in the coming years, a goal for himself. He'll see all the best players in the league, and one day maybe he`ll be here playing. It's an experience, something you can cherish after you get older."

Michael Jordan knew even then that he would go on to have a wonderful relationship with Charles Oakley, describing him as his bodyguard. 

"That`s my bodyguard," Jordan said. "I'm going to be like a big brother to him. We have a great relationship, and that's how the whole team has to be. One person has to care for another person. We've got to learn to help each other out in bad situations."

Charles Oakley played for 3 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and he was a productive player for that time. He averaged nearly 10 points and over 8 boards per game even in his rookie season, so it's easy to see how he earned MJ's respect. The fact that he has been able to maintain such an amazing relationship with the GOAT is a testament to how much the two like one another.