Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan are two of the greatest competitors the sports world has even known. In the ‘90s, the two competed against each other on a number of occasions, most notably during the 1993 NBA Finals. Amid the on-court battles, the two also struck up a friendship, though that bond has since dissipated. Barkley, over the years, has mentioned his past relationship with Jordan but, in a recent interview, the star got incredibly candid about “losing” his friendship with the Chicago Bulls legend.
The Round Mound of Rebound appeared on an episode of the Let’s Go! Podcast, on which he discussed his broadcasting career with Tom Brady and Jim Gray. Brady eventually asked the former Phoenix Sun if he’s ever faced any serious ramifications due to the things he’s said over the years. From there, he admitted that arguably the biggest loss he’s experienced is his relationship with Michael Jordan and explained why things broke down between the two of them:
I think probably, me and Michael [Jordan] were best friends, that’s probably the most prominent thing. Michael Jordan, losing his friendship was probably the most prominent thing that’s happened to me. But I was being honest about what I thought. I said, ‘Listen, the toughest thing about Michael, he’s got to put better people around him.’
Those who watch Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA know that he rarely ever holds back when sharing his opinion but, at times, his comments do land him in hot water. Some may remember the debacle regarding “the big women” in San Antonio. During the recent interview, Barkley shared his rationale for the statements he made about MJ. He also revealed just how long it’s been since they last spoke:
Because the toughest thing, when you’re famous, they’re on your private jet, you’re buying all the drinks, you’re buying all the dinners. Very few people are gonna be honest with you. And I try to surround myself with people like, hey, if I’m screwing up, please tell me. And Michael got offended about something I said about him. And we haven’t spoken in probably almost 10 years. And he was my best friend at the time. And I love the dude like a brother and we’re both stubborn and we haven’t talked.
That last tidbit would seem to indicate that even though it’s been nearly a decade since they last talked, Charles Barkley still has love for his fellow Dream Teamer. There have been plenty of other former players who’ve had their own squabbles over the years. How could one forget the animosity between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal when they played for the Lakers. Luckily, the two buried the hatchet years later and, if they could settle all of that bad blood, I believe Barkley and his old chum could do the same.
However, there is one former NBA player that I really can’t see Michael Jordan reconciling with anytime soon – Scottie Pippen. The former Chicago Bull has been engaged in a one-sided feud with Jordan since the release of ESPN’s The Last Dance (which is available to stream with a Netflix subscription). Pippen claims his former teammate used the Emmy-winning docuseries to put the spotlight on himself and didn’t highlight his teammates enough in the process. Pippen has even said that Jordan “ruined” basketball.
Most sports fans will tell you that sometimes, old wounds just never heal, but one would hope that at the very least, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley can patch things up. Off the court, they had some incredibly funny moments. (I personally love the joint interview they did with Oprah Winfrey years ago.) Making amends wouldn’t be impossible, but anything can be difficult when the people involved are, as Barkley put it, “stubborn.”
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