Michael Jordan has had a bevy of rivals throughout his illustrious career. Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons were his Bulls’ first hurdle to cross. He would then have to conquer the likes of Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Gary Payton, and of course, Karl Malone and John Stockton’s Utah Jazz.
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However, the man who he faced in the 1993 NBA Finals was a bit more unique than the aforementioned men. This is because it was a man who MJ truly considered to be a close friend of his. Given just how maniacal Jordan was when it came to competition, he didn’t have all too many friends in the NBA.
Charles Barkley was one of those few man who graduated from acquaintance status to becoming an actual friend. He would face off against Chuck’s Phoenix Suns in the ‘93 NBA Finals and in doing so, would have a chance to, once and for all, bury Barkley’s ego.
Charles Barkley was told by Chuck Daly that Michael Jordan was better than him
Charles Barkley, while he was one of the best frontcourt players in the NBA, was never the best player in the league at any given moment in time. However, as any competitive superstar in sports does, he wholeheartedly believed he was the best player on the planet.
He would get a rude awakening from Chuck Daly, coach of the Detroit Pistons, who would tell the Auburn graduate that while he was good, he was not better than Michael Jordan. Chuck scoffed at this notion and told Daly that he would beat Jordan while in Phoenix as he finally had the help he didn’t have in Philly.
If there’s one opposing coach who knows just how hard it is to guard Jordan, it’s Daly, given that he faced him 4 straight years in the Playoffs. Barkley would soon be reminded of the same during their Finals series against the Chicago Bulls.
Charles Barkley conceded to Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan won 3 straight championships by the time the ‘93 Finals had wrapped. This was a feat neither Magic Johnson or Larry Bird could accomplish and MJ did so by beating none other than Charles Barkley.
Jordan never let a Finals series go 6 games and his Bulls bested the Suns in 6. in those 6 games, he averaged 41 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists a night. These types of numbers led to Chuck finally admitting to the world and to himself that MJ just be better than he is.
