The Last Enforcer
Outrageous Stories From the Life and Times of One of the NBA's Fiercest Competitors
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- S/ 52.90
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- S/ 52.90
Descripción editorial
In this “incredible read on some incredible days and nights in the old association” (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN senior NBA insider) Charles Oakley—one of the toughest and most loyal players in NBA history—tells his unfiltered stories about his basketball journey and his relationships with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, James Dolan, Donald Trump, George Floyd, and many others.
If you ask a New York Knicks fan about Charles Oakley, you better prepare to hear the love and a favorite story or two. But his individual stats weren’t remarkable, and while he helped power the Knicks to ten consecutive playoffs, he never won a championship. So why does he hold such a special place in the minds, hearts, and memories of NBA players and fans?
Because over the course of nineteen years in the league, Oakley was at the center of more unbelievable encounters than Forrest Gump, and nearly as many fights as Mike Tyson. He was the friend you wish you had, and the enemy you wish you’d never made. If any opposing player was crazy enough to start a fight with him, or God forbid one of his teammates, Oakley would end it.
“I can’t remember every rebound I grabbed but I do have a story—the true story—of just about every punch and slap on my resume,” he says.
In The Last Enforcer, Oakley shares one incredible story after the next—all in his signature “unflinchingly tough, honest, and ultimately endearing” (Harvey Araton, New York Times bestselling author) style—about his life in the paint and beyond, fighting for rebounds and respect. You’ll look back on the era of the 1990s NBA, when tough guys with rugged attitudes, unflinching loyalty, and hard-nosed work ethics were just as important as three-point sharpshooters. You’ll feel like you were on the court, in the room, can’t believe what you just saw, and need to tell everyone you know about it.
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Former NBA All-Star Oakley debuts with a memorable if dewy-eyed account of his run in what he calls "the golden era of physical play" in the league. Anchored with a foreword by Michael Jordan—who refers to the author as his "bodyguard" during their time as teammates on the Chicago Bulls—Oakley's book skims over his youth and early love of the game to instead regale readers with tales from his playing days in the 1980s and '90s and his decade-long tenure with the Knicks, replete with cameos by the likes of Donald Trump. He also weighs in on a considerable amount of gossip, opening the book with the claim "I did not punch Charles Barkley"; providing his own commentary on the infamous feud between Michael Jordan and the Pistons' Isiah Thomas ("Thomas was jealous of Michael"); and with an almost laser-focused memory, recounting outrageous moments such as when Dennis Rodman (who he was "never friends" with) walked around a steakhouse he co-owned "eating food off customers' plates." Entertaining as it is, it can sometimes feels like a romanticized account of a bygone era full of grievances ("Jonathan Supranowitz is a straight bitch") that, nearly two decades on, clearly continue to incense him. Still, this remains an entertaining stroll down memory lane.
