“It’s 90 Degrees and We Can Play Golf”: Days After Losing to Michael Jordan in Game 6, Charles Barkley Had a Surprising Outlook on Loss

The Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns produced one entertaining series during the 1993 NBA Finals. Not allowing their friendship to change their viewpoint on the contest, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley both had impressive performances. There wasn’t much that the Suns’ defense could do to stop Jordan, who averaged 41 points per game, leading the Chicago side to a 4-2 win. Despite losing his very first and only Finals appearance, Barkley had a spectacular outing in those six games. Surprisingly, Chuck didn’t seem to sulk after the heartbreaking loss. Taking a page out of MJ’s book, the 1993 MVP had a positive outlook that involved golfing merely days after the NBA Finals disappointment.

Michael Jordan would use various tactics to get into his opponents’ heads. He also allegedly misused his friendship with Barkley to get him to lower his guard during the 1993 Finals. To throw Sir Charles off his game, it was rumored that the Bulls Shooting Guard gifted the former diamond earrings worth $20,000. However, during a recent appearance on the Kelce brothers’ podcast “New Heights”, the Round Mound of Rebound claimed that this story was completely made up.

Charles Barkley didn’t sulk over the 1993 NBA Finals loss against Michael Jordan and co.

For someone who lost his first Finals appearance almost a decade after getting drafted, Barkley surprisingly seemed to be at peace. The 6-feet-6 Power Forward was pretty much unfazed by the loss as he geared up to play golf just five days after the series. In his book “Sir Charles: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles Barkley”, the then Suns star wrote:

“We live in the desert, it’s 90 degrees outside and we can play golf every day. I don’t fear losing.”

Seems like the veteran star took a page out of Jordan’s book. His Airness would often credit his failures as the reason behind him becoming one of the most successful players in NBA history. Similar to his best friend, MJ never feared losing.

Apart from sharing similar ideologies, MJ and Barkley also had a common love for golf.

Jordan’s $300,000 bet on a single putt would shock Barkley

Jordan and Barkley were two of the biggest superstars in the league during the 1990s. But the two didn’t spend their entire time playing basketball. Avid golf enthusiasts, the two icons would spend numerous hours on the golf course. In several instances, the Barkley and Jordan have battled it out on the greens.

It is common knowledge that MJ was a compulsive gambler. Cards, golf, or any other petty challenges, Jordan would view as a potential chance to make a quick buck. The stakes would be much higher against his close friends. And this is something that Barkley learned during golfing when the Bulls legend put up a $300,000 bet on a single putt. Whether you call it madness or passion, Mike had a huge affinity toward the sport.