"You come in my territory now; I gotta let you know" - Charles Oakley had no issues playing hard against Michael Jordan

While Michael Jordan had numerous friendships with other players in the league, few were as close as his with Charles Oakley. Despite being only three years teammates in Chicago , they forged a strong bond both professionally and personally.

As MJ's prowess on the court intensified, opposing teams, particularly rivals like the New York Knicks , resorted to ultra-physical play against him. Moreover, Oak Tree, finding himself on the opposing team, felt compelled to match this physicality even if it meant forcefully grounding his close friend, recognizing the need to set aside their camaraderie while on the hardwood.

Oak knew he had to safeguard 'his territory'

The close bond between Jordan and Oakley was evident when the latter was tarded to the Knicks in 1988. Eventually, as the Bulls and Knicks locked horns on six occasions from 1989 to 1996 in the playoffs, the former team emerged victorious five times, with Mike facing excessive hard play in each series.

Even though Oakley and the Knicks came up short against Jordan and co. most of the time, they refused to make things easy for the 6'6" shooting guard. The Cleveland native even admitted in an interview with DJ Vlad that he refused to go easy against Mike, even if it meant putting his close friend on the ground to protect the paint.

"That little paint is my real estate; outside, he can have all that real estate. He (Jordan) knew the rules. It wasn't like anybody tried to hurt him, but when you come inside, we gotta let you know," Oakley said . "You come in my territory now, and I gotta let you know, it's still the same way, you gotta pay the toll."

Jordan still topped Oakley and the Knicks

Though Oakley might take pride in saying he never let MJ dominate easily, the stats tell a different story. It doesn't seem like His Airness had much trouble asserting himself whenever he faced the Knicks in the postseason, especially considering that he averaged 32.8 points on 47.8% shooting in those five playoff series combined.

Furthermore, the only time the Knicks managed to beat the Bulls was in the '93-94 season, when MJ suddenly retired from the league. So, while Oakley did everything to knock Jordan to the ground whenever he had to, it's clear that the six-time Finals MVP didn't have much trouble slowing down.