• May 23, 2001- With Antonio Davis, Jerome Williams, and Alvin Williams all becoming free agents, the Raptor may be drastically different next year. Charles Oakley may also be dealt after not endearing himself to the coaching staff and management with his many critical comments. He'll be in the last year of a 3 year, 18 million dollar deal, so that may make him trade bait for teams looking for salary cap space next year.
  • May 22, 2001- Toronto's season comes to an end with Vince missing a game winning jumpshot at the buzzer. Oakley finishes with a 11 point, 10 rebound performance. Carter had caused a stir by flying to UNC to walk in his graduation, and then flying back to Philly for the game. Oakley had supported his decision: "It's something that happens once in lifetime. He put his time in and he wants to get his papers. I hope he thinks he's making the right decision... I'm behind him."
  • May 17, 2001- Once again, Oakley questions Lenny Wilkens' actions. Oak with 2 pts and 1 rebound in a loss to go down 3-2 in the series. Oakley was upset that he and Vince were put back in the game during garbage time in the 4th quarter, which resulted in Carter taking a shot in the head from Mutombo: "You can't put me back in, a veteran, when you're down 26 points going into the fourth quarter. That's embarrassing. Vince shouldn't have been in the game. There shouldn't be no stars in the game. Point blank."
  • May 16, 2001- It looks like Tyrone Hill has finally taken a step to reconcile with Charles Oakley. The two have had two altercations this season, due to a gambling debt owed to Oakley from a summer dice game. The amount in question was allegedly $54,000. A anonymous source reported that Hill paid the debt to Oakley on Tuesday at the Toronto team hotel. Oakley wouldn't confirm this (the NBA had warned him about speaking on this topic in depth), but he did say this before Wednesday's game: "Everything in life is double. If he didn't pay me $108,000, he didn't pay me... A gentleman pays his debt within a week or two."
  • May 14, 2001- Raps lose; Oak with 11 pts, 11 rbs, 3 blocks, 2 steals. Oakley missed his first 4 shots, and was pulled 6 minutes into the game. Oak had some words for Lenny Wilkens as he was pulled. When asked about it after the game, he had this to say: "I was upset not about the game, but about coming out. You know, all year I've been working hard, do this and do that. We at the big dance and I want to be there. I think that I can produce. I've been producing. He's the coach. He took me out and I had to come out. Just because he took me out I'm not happy. I wasn't happy because I wanted to play. I can give this team a lot." Although Oakley played better in all 24 minutes of the 2nd half, I think the enduring image from this game will be Oak stealing a pass, and trying to take it coast-to-coast in the waning moments. He was easily stripped by Iverson to seal the deal. "Allen just made a great play on the ball. We just did a lot of bad stuff. It was a big play, but we're still down four points," Oakley said. "I was going for the basket, but he cut me off, like a cornerback. He made the interception."
  • May 12, 2001- Oak with an underwhelming 4 pts, 4 rebounds as Toronto goes up 2-1 in the series.
  • May 10, 2001- Iverson puts up 54 as the 76ers even the series, winning 97-92. Oakley had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Oak is still confident that the Raptors will come out on top: "That team don't have many scorers. He's (Iverson) going to have to score 50 every time to beat us and I don't think he can do that."
  • May 7, 2001- Toronto takes game 1 at Philly. Oakley had 13 points, including a jumper with 1 minute left to end the Sixers' comeback and put the Raps up by 4. Oak also took a verbal shot at the Knicks' season being over: "They have no more tough guys. Ewing for Luc Longley was a bust. I hope they get more guys like him."
  • May 5, 2001- Raptors end the Knicks' season, winning 93-89 at MSG. 12 pts and 6 rebounds for Oakley. Next up: Tyrone "Halloween" Hill and the 76ers!
    A closing remark from about the whole Vince Carter situation. "I haven't said anything to make anybody want to stand outside of my condo or my house to beat me up. It's just basketball. That's what's wrong with the league. You can't say anything without worrying about people's feelings. I didn't think I did anything to hurt his feelings or nobody else's."
  • May 4, 2001- Vince Carter's mom seems to have taken offense to what Oakley said about her son. She questioned Oakley's subpar performance in the series. Oak's response was classic: "I don't want no beef with her, but I guess she's got a beef with me. If she wants to be a coach, Lenny's contract is up in two or three years."
  • May 3, 2001- Raps tie the series. Oak plays only 30 minutes with Jerome Williams getting more playing time. Did Oak's comments motivate Vince to break out with a 32 point performance? Who knows?
  • May 2, 2001- Oakley has been very outspoken about Vince Carter not stepping up in the playoffs. He continued to voice his opinion today: "All the plays go through Vince. The focus on Vince has been there all year. You can't shy away from it now. This is the time you have to step up and be a man about it, you know? When they made the Dream Team, he went, all 12 of us didn't go. When they do commercials, we don't go. He goes."
    Carter has tried to deflect some of the criticism by saying that it's a team game, etc. but Oak has a valid point. However you want to look at it, Carter's the man- he has to perform.