Charles Oakley cuts an imposing and commanding figure as he mingles, all dressed in black, among the 100 or so kids at the Raptors’ basketball academy in the cacophony of the Humber College gym.

He dispenses high-fives and handshakes, smiles and gives the odd admonishment to the campers as he wanders from court to court, Oak being Oak.

He’s more business than laughs but that’s the way the one-time Raptor is, gruff and fun at the same time, prone to wild pronouncements when the mood strikes but always honest, regardless of the consequences.

And in the quiet of a change room away from the crowd, amid boxes of jerseys and balls and a set of golf clubs leaning against a wall, he remains true to himself discussing the sea-changing Raptors transaction of a week ago.

A sentimentalist, he is not.

“They traded Vince (Carter), anybody’s tradeable,” the 54-year-old NBA icon said of the DeMar DeRozan-Kawhi Leonard trade. “He was the best player, I think, in this whole Raptors franchise, the best player to ever come through here.

“You know, Kareem got traded, Dr. J got traded, Shaq. Just go to San Antonio and play.”

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One would expect nothing less from Oakley, who has ever only sugar-coated something when he’s been engaged in his culinary passion as a chef.

Perhaps the best way to describe Oakley is as a basketball pragmatist. He understands the harsh realities of the game and of pro sports. He isn’t one who will listen to much whining without chiming in and, when asked, will never shy away from offering an opinion. It may run counter to the thoughts of some but it’s real and often refreshing.

“I don’t get caught up in that, the loyalty,” he said in a wide-ranging conversation, as if there’s any other kind with Oakley. “They don’t owe you nothing. They’re paying you money, they’re paying you to play so whatever happens. I tell players who are playing who say ‘I don’t like that coach’ or ‘I don’t like this coach’ that at the end of the day, if the coach don’t win, the coach gets fired. Sometimes players get traded (but the) coach gets fired before the players.

“I think DeRozan is a good kid, he did a lot for the city, he’s a humble kid. Last year I was surprised to see him get benched in the playoffs, the No. 1 player on the team, so I guess that had a lot to do with trading him this summer.”

Despite the fact he left the Raptors in 2001 and is most linked with the New York Knicks, Oakley’s ties with Toronto are strong and his interest in how the Raptors do is genuine. He calls Larry Tanenbaum “one of the top three owners in the league” and retains a legitimate affinity for the city.

“This a great place. Never had a bad experience here, they always showed me love,” he said. “ I tell people when you play basketball, you can’t get caught up in the fans, the fans are going to have the last word, there’s too many fans and only but one of you.

“I think they do themselves first class … management always tries to look out for people. I think Larry does a great job … I love Larry, he does a lot off the court that no one sees. He’ll go the extra mile for you.”

Aside from his surprise visit to the Raptors camp, Oakley is in Toronto for Friday’s Big3 event at the Scotiabank Arena, where he’ll coach the Killer 3s as part of the four-game, three-on-three extravaganza. He’ll take time to catch up with some old Raptors friends, as well, and offer his unique perspective on the team’s chances after the DeRozan-Leonard trade.

“If (Leonard) comes and plays like he did in San Antonio, anything can happen,” Oakley said. “You still got players, you still got bodies. One thing is, (Serge) Ibaka needs to step up more, stop shooting all those threes.

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“The big guy, the centre, what’s his name (Jonas Valanciunas)? He played good last year, they didn’t go to him enough. Coach should have went to him a little bit more. Forget spacing the floor, if you’ve got a guy that’s 7-1 who can post and do what he was doing in the playoffs, the efficiency he was doing? Keep going to him.”

That opinion is not unexpected from an ex-NBA big man who loved the dirty work and still looks like he could get 15 points and 10 rebounds a night.

“15? They let everyone shoot now, I’d get 20 easy.”

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