Charles Oakley is still beefing with Charles Barkley.
Oakley went on the radio Friday with the New York Daily News‘ Frank Isola on Sirius XM Radio to talk about his hostile tweet to Barkley, who suggested on Wednesday’s Inside the NBA the Atlanta Hawks “take out” a player from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Charles Barkley ,you better stop talking s*** about Cleveland you was never tough you hide behind TNT
— Charles Oakley (@CharlesOakley34) May 5, 2016
Here’s what Oakley had to say during Friday’s interview as transcribed by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:
It ain’t about fighting. He just talks too much at the wrong time. Like a spoiled kid. He’s from Alabama, he should have more home training, you know? He’s one of those kids who say he’s from the south side of Chicago but he got a ride to school every day. He ain’t walking down the block. He got dropped off, the principal brought him back home.
Oakley, a Cleveland native, defended his hometown and warned Barkley about stepping foot in Cleveland.
He can’t say nothing about Cleveland as long as I’m from Cleveland, that’s the mistake. He shouldn’t even let somebody else talk about Cleveland. He’s been in Cleveland, he got away with one thing, he ain’t getting away with two things. My grandfather always told me, ‘You have to tell somebody something twice? No, you tell them once. They don’t get it? Next time, I’m sending a message.’ So he got the message. Nothing over the top. But, I mean, come on. Pick on somebody else. Pick on another city. You ain’t gonna talk about Compton. … If he comes to Cleveland somebody’s going to throw something at him. They can’t miss that big head.
And of course, Oakley took a shot at Barkley’s playing career. Knew that was coming.
For him to make a comment about Cleveland, take Cleveland out, I mean, Charles, who has he taken out in his 14-year, 15-year career? He was a great player, he got his 25 and 11, but who did he take out? Everybody that I know who played with him, they said he was the worst guy in the world to play with. So my thing is, let Cleveland go. Talk about OKC or somebody else who is not doing what Cleveland, like I said, they swept Detroit, they’re 2-0 going to Atlanta. I don’t know, he’s just trying to be on TV, trying to be Mr. Basketball. And his I.Q. is not that high for basketball.
Barkley responded to the tweet by saying Oakley “wasn’t important enough for him to think about.” We’ll see if Friday’s interview changes that.
The two once got into a brawl during a preseason game in 1996. But we’re guessing two grown men in their 50s won’t settle this that way.