I was Michael Jordan’s ‘bodyguard’ and best friend on Chicago Bulls – but I’d still prefer to play with LeBron James for one key reason

Michael Jordan was famously guarded during his storied run in the NBA.

The Chicago Bulls icon was a ruthless competitor with an uncompromising win-at-all-costs mentality.

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His impossibly high standards fuelled his success, but at the same time caused many a locker room issue, sometimes resulting in physical violence with his own teammates.

However, there were some players MJ shared a close bond with.

One of those was former power forward Charles Oakley, who played with the Bulls from 1985-1988.

The no-nonsense enforcer joined the NBA a year after ‘His Airness’ and was with him throughout his early years as pro.

‘Oak Tree’ was one of the best defensive forwards in the game at time, and his intense style of play fit perfectly alongside an ascending ‘Air Jordan’.

Oakley was ultimately traded to the New York Knicks before the Bulls became a winning machine, but was in Chicago during MJ’s formative years where he often protected Mike from the opposition’s savage treatment of the young Bull.

“Michael’s my guy, we’ve been tight since ’85,” Oakley, who made the NBA All-Defensive Team twice, said.

“He took me to the All-Star Game. We connected right away. He was tough-minded, and I was tough-minded, but not just being tough-minded; he came to practice and he showed leadership in practice, and that’s what I try to do. I always try to lead the ship with my guys. But playing with him was great…Just being around him, his demeanor, how he work, stuff can rub off.

“We (were) just always chilling, always together. We just got tight,” Oakley told K.C. Johnson on the Bulls Talk Podcast.

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Oakley and Jordan are still close to this day.

Jordan has described the 6ft 8in bruiser as ‘his bodyguard’ and someone he thinks of as a little brother.

But despite their excellent on and off-court relationship, Oakley insists he’d still prefer to play with LeBron James.

Why? Because LeBron would pass him the ball.

“They asked me, ‘Who’d you rather play with, LeBron or Mike?’ I said, LeBron, but Mike my best friend,” Oakley, who was selected as an All-Star in 1994, said.

“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.”

“Anybody who got a son, watch LeBron,” Oakley added on the Fadeaway Dunk podcast.

“If you’re open, he’ll pass your son the ball. It ain’t like some guys who’ll look at you and then shoot it. They say LeBron ain’t the guy who wants to take the big shot but it ain’t about taking a big shot if somebody checking you. They always say Mike would take the shot, LeBron would pass the shot.”

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In 2018, Oakley posted on X: “No player in the history of the game has put together the body of work LeBron has.”

Jordan and LeBron are often pitted against each another in the greatest of all time (GOAT) debate.

Jordan was a perfect 6-0 in NBA Finals with six Finals MVPs. The ten-time scoring champion dominated The Association during the 1990s, becoming a cultural phenomenon and global icon in the process.

James, meanwhile, is playing better than anyone ever has at his current age. The 40-year-old is still one of other best players in the NBA and has tons of longevity records to go along with four titles and four Finals MVPs.

In addition to being the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and ranking fourth in NBA career assists and sixth in NBA career steals, ‘King James’ has been named an NBA All-Star a record 21 times, and selected to the All-NBA Team a record 20 times (including a record 13 First Team selections).

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It should be noted Oakley never said who was the better player between LeBron and MJ.

He simply said James may have been a better teammate because of his facilitator-first approach.

Ultimately, Oakley insists it’s all about personal preference when it comes to the GOAT debate.

“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.”