Charles Oakley Says He'd Rather Play with LeBron over 'Best Friend' Michael Jordan

Former NBA power forward Charles Oakley said on the latest edition of Showtime Basketball's KG Certified that he'd rather play with LeBron James than Michael Jordan.

"They asked me, 'Who'd you rather play with, LeBron or Mike?' I said, LeBron, but Mike my best friend. Mike ain't passing me the ball. He don't care if I get a shot today or tomorrow. But, you know, that's how he got to be Mike."

Oakley was Jordan's teammate for three seasons on the Bulls (1985-88) before becoming his rival on the New York Knicks for the next decade. The two teamed up once more on the 2002-03 Washington Wizards.

The two have been close friends dating back to their Bulls days.

"Me and him, we just clicked," Oakley told K.C. Johnson on the Bulls Talk Podcast. "He took me to the All-Star game my rookie year and it just kept going from there. We (were) just always chilling, always together. We just got tight."

As far as on the court goes, Oakley also used a creative analogy to explain himself.

"When they always make the comparison, 'Who you like? LeBron or Mike?' I says, 'Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes. Mike, LeBron.' So, LeBron got no sugar, Mike got the sugar. I'm LeBron because I was Corn Flakes. So it's always going to be a comparison."

Oakley also provided some honest thoughts on load management, saying the following to show host and Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett:

Oakley nearly averaged a double-double (9.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG) over his 19 NBA seasons. His accolades include making the 1985-86 All-Rookie team and the 1993-94 Eastern Conference All-Star team. Oakley also made the NBA All-Defensive Team twice.