In the world of professional sports, friendships can form in the most unexpected places. One such improbable bond was forged between basketball legends Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. Their friendship transcended the norms of the game, defying expectations and leaving a lasting impact. As chronicled in the revealing book “Jordan Rules,” their connection was anything but conventional.
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Barkley, known as the NBA’s “bad boy,” and Jordan, a walking, talking “conglomerate,” found comfort in each other’s company despite their contrasting public personas. Barkley’s brash personality and infectious humor resonated with Jordan, who sought solace in their friendship. As the book “Jordan Rules” unveils, their camaraderie went beyond the basketball court, with Barkley stating, “Most of the guys in this league are jerks, and you wouldn’t want to spend any time with them.” This candid remark highlights the unique nature of their bond.
Barkley reveals the ‘surprising’ reason behind his friendship with Michael Jordan
The book ‘Jordan Rules’ better explains the duo’s history and connection. Michael and Charles had become friends due to rather unconventional reasons. In Barkley’s words ” We were friends. We became friends because most of the guys in this league are jerks and you wouldn’t want to spend any time with them“. Barkley and Jordan’s relationship was rather odd, as Barkley was the brash, outspoken, ill-behaved ‘bad-boy’ of the league. Contrary to that Michael was the league’s Goody Two-Shoes, the ‘Poster-Child of the league. This made their friendship stand out due to its oddity.
In the book, Jordan narrows his reasoning for their friendship to ” Charles is a nice guy, a fun guy to be with; he makes me laugh“. Jordan further went on to compare their friendship saying that ” it seems as if Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger had come together”. Though the friendship remained strong in the public eye, fractures had started to emerge as Jordan and Charles would lock heads often as their new roles in the basketball world would pitch them against each other. With Charles representing the media and Jordan now an owner, criticism from Barkley’s side was something Michael couldn’t take, as Charles never bit his tongue when it came to his friend and his management of the team.
Barkley’s comments about Michael and the Hornets lead to an irreparable break in friendship with Michael Jordan
All good things don’t last forever. Though the duo of Charles and Jordan had been through their trials, the two usually saw through it. The two had faced off in an NBA final, a very heated final to be candid.
But it was Charles’s comments about Michael’s inability to manage the Charlet Hornets which acted as the last straw between the two, ending one of the sport’s most iconic friendships.
