“Charles Barkley shutting up is like me playing with hair”: When Michael Jordan had the perfect analogy for Chuck after beefing with him in a Bulls-Rockets game

Michael Jordan once hilariously compared Charles Barkley shutting up to him growing out his hair after a heated Bulls-Rockets game. 

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley have been acquainted with one another for nearly 4 decades as they entered the NBA together in the 1984 Draft. Their careers of course, took two very separate paths as one managed to snag six championships while the other would not be able to muster a single championship, in large part due to the existence of the Bulls superstar. 

The two were friends off the court during their playing days as they would frequently golf together while bantering on interviews like Oprah. As Chuck settled into his retirement and eased his way into becoming an NBA analyst, his criticism of Michael Jordan and the way he handled being on the Wizards front office caused a rift to form between them.

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When duking it out on the court however, neither backed down from the other. This was on full display during a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets in January of 1998. 

Michael Jordan on playing against Charles Barkley. 

Charles Barkley possessed a competitive vigor within him that only players like Michael Jordan and a select few throughout history shared. This came out in quite the explosive way as the two Hall of Famers butted heads in a Bulls-Rockets game in what would be Jordan’s last season as a Bull. 

All night long, 24,000 people bore witness to Chuck and Jordan going at one another, with the former doing everything he could to fuel a comeback against the reigning champions. He would finish the night off with a vintage Barkley statline of 35 points and 14 assists on 11-14 shooting from the field. 

Michael Jordan however, stole the show on his home floor as he dropped a whopping 45 points on 16-29 shooting, leading the way for a 106-100 win at home. 

Following the game, Jordan was asked about his on-court scuffles with Charles, to which the former replied, “Charles is not Charles is he keeps his mouth shut. It’s like me playing with hair.”

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