Charles Oakley Says Anthony Davis Isn’t Franchise Player: ‘He Ain’t That Type’

By Orel Dizon
Updated: December 21, 2019

Steve Mitchell / USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Davis has been key in the Los Angeles Lakers’ resurgence this season.

Many NBA franchises would love to build their team around the 26-year-old superstar, but a former NBA player does not believe Davis is a true franchise player.

TMZ Sports chanced upon Charles Oakley, a one-time All-Star who played 19 seasons in the league, and asked him if the New York Knicks should go after Davis in the upcoming offseason.

“If you’re on a winning team, why would you want to go somewhere else?” replied Oakley.

Oakley then said there are only about three to four guys in the league who can truly lead a team to success, referring to LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.

When asked if he thought Davis belonged on that list, Oakley responded negatively.

“He ain’t that type of player,” Oakley said. “He was in New Orleans and didn’t do it. I don’t know him personally but he ain’t that guy. Whenever you play with somebody else, you ain’t that guy. I don’t care what you say.”

While Oakley did not mince words in his description of Davis, the Lakers definitely see Davis as a franchise player.

Otherwise, the team would not have gutted its roster and traded its young cornerstones for him in the 2019 offseason.