Charles Oakley 20 Questions: On Tim Hortons, his love of Toronto and the worst cook he ever played with - The Athletic
4. How would you rate Toronto’s culinary prowess?
From one to 10? An eight-and-a-half, nine. Toronto was just a great city. A great place. People were great. I have nothing bad to say about Toronto. It’s always going to get high ratings and high praise from me.
5. In the three years you played in Canada, how often did you try poutine, Tim Hortons or back bacon?
Tim Hortons is the brand over there. I went to Tim Hortons. A quick in and out. A turkey sandwich, or either a hot chocolate and the great doughnuts.
6. What was the hardest part of adjusting to life in Canada?
My thing is, I can get along with people. I can go places. I’m a guy who can do stuff on my own. I don’t need someone to do everything for me. I’m a real detail guy. I’ll figure it out myself. I didn’t have a hard time. Everyone was so nice up there.
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9. What changes have you seen in the city when you’ve come back?
The fans have gotten more involved. They’re just so into basketball. I know it’s a hockey town. But it’s still the same type of warm feeling. It’s growing. I’d put it in the top four cities on my list. I used to go to the Maple Leafs games. I used to go to the Blue Jays games. The Blue Jays games were fun, inside the dome.
10. What might the Raptors have accomplished if Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady stayed together?
I think they definitely could have made it to the Finals. Maybe won a championship. Those two guys, such great talent. I think Vince put the city on his back, on the map. Probably got more kids interested in playing basketball when a lot of people weren’t playing basketball at a high level. You see a lot of pros coming out of Toronto, now, to the NBA. He brought a creation there, and gave kids hope.
11. What did you mean when you told reporters that, when you arrived in Toronto you told teammates “this is a job, not a daycare centre?”
It’s showing that, “Hey, you’ve got to come to work, bring your hard hat and let the fans know we’re together at all times.” I know a lot of people said they didn’t want to come because of the taxes, and this and that. But once we got there, guys put all that beside. When the fans came to the game, they saw good, intelligent court play. We didn’t let teams come in and try to regulate us. Because we were in Canada, we let them know, “You come here, it’s going to be a rough night.”
