Charles Oakley started his career with Michael Jordan's Bulls. He then spent his prime protecting Patrick Ewing with the Knicks. But near the end, Oakley found himself with a new role: Mentor.

Oakley was traded from the Knicks to the Raptors before the lockout-shortened 1999 season. He was 36 and his production was starting to slip. But the Raptors only needed Oakley to stick to his role. They had two talented youngsters ready to pop: 19-year-old Tracy McGrady and 21-year-old Vince Carter. 

"That's the big three – Antonio Davis, big four," Oakley says with a laugh. "They listened, that was the key. We held them accountable. We did what we were supposed to do as vets and showed them the right way and to this day they still thank us for doing that."

"I wouldn't want nobody to be hazed and I didn't want to be hazed so I wouldn’t do nothing bad. We did fun stuff and had a good time."

Oakley made these comments to ThePostGame before playing in a charity softball game at Yankee Stadum for CC Sabathia's PitCCh In Foundation. Carter recently talked about Oakley with ThePostGame, saying Oakley was a great chef and "the one mean uncle that's cool a lot."

So ThePostGame had to ask Oakley specifically about Carter.

"He's a good guy and I never expected him to play 20 years but in this league, I might even come back and get two years in...I'd get more rebounds than points because I'd be that type of guy. I ain't looking to score. I know my role."

Oakley played two years with McGrady and three with Carter. He finished his career with three one-year stints with the Bulls, Wizards and Rockets.

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