The Phoenix Suns-Chicago Bulls matchup during the 1993 NBA Finals was a much-anticipated series, which saw the reigning league MVP go against arguably the best player of the generation. Despite the Chicago Bulls taking an early 2-0 lead in the series, the Suns led by Charles Barkley managed to clinch Game 3 after three overtimes. After the game, Barkley addressed the detractors on TNT who doubted the Suns’ competitiveness against the mighty Bulls, led by the legendary Michael Jordan.
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After a grueling triple-overtime game, the Suns somehow managed to edge out the defending champions in Game 3, making the series 2-1 in favor of the Bulls. However, Chuck was not one to be humble off the court. During a post-game appearance, the now NBA on TNT analyst did not hold back against his doubters, who had questioned his heart going into the matchup.
As per ‘Sir Charles: Wit and Wisdom of Charles Barkley’, Barkley said, during an interview on 13th June, “Can’t nobody say sh*t about our intensity and heart.”
Struggling to stay afloat in the series, it was a hard-earned victory for the Suns. The Chuckster, known for his shrewd responses, made sure to answer all the naysayers after giving his all in the contest. Adding 24 points to the score, Charles Barkley posed a strong offense, alongside Dan Majerle and Kevin Johnson, who had 25 and 28 points respectively.
Barkley’s determination on the court to not lose the game that night was evident in his 19 rebounds. Even though pitted against a clearly stronger opposition and persistent criticism from the media, the 1993 MVP held his high up and battled through everything.
Michael Jordan once gifted Chuck $20,000 diamond earrings
The 1993 NBA Finals concluded similarly to the 1991 and 92 Finals, with the great Michael Jordan and the Bulls lifting yet another championship and completing the first three-peat for Chicago. Ending the series 2-4, Chuck had to eventually settle as the runners-up of that season.
Apart from the final outcome, the 1993 NBA finals saw two best friends compete against each other on the court. MJ and Chuck were known for their bond at that time, to the extent that MJ once gifted his friend $20,000 diamond earrings.
However, it was alleged that MJ had “bribed” his friend in order to take the Suns’ power forward out of the next game, after a day of golfing, which was usual for the two friends. Although fans doubt the legitimacy of such claims, various sources have confirmed the same.
However, the friendship soon turned into one of the greatest rivalries, with Chuck even blaming MJ for “selective persecution”. Furthermore, after a lot of speculation about the event, Chuck finally publicly debunked the theory on the ‘New Heights’ podcast by the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
He termed the theory as just a “rumor”, which caught fire after all these years ago and people believed it to be true. However, there is no doubt about the rivalry that the two greats of the game shared on the court, even after being best friends at the time.
