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“Michael Jordan didn’t win for a long time, but he got better as a player”: Charles Barkley on LeBron James and the current culture of chasing championships

Raahib Singh
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"Michael Jordan didn't win for a long time... He got better as a player": Charles Barkley on LeBron James and the current culture of chasing championships

NBA Analyst Charles Barkley talks about current players chasing rings, and how former players like Michael Jordan never did the same.

Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors recently spoke about how he feels the franchises are being unfair to the players. He talked about the double standards of the league and the unfair treatment of Andre Drummond by the Cavs.

Also Read: “Michael Jordan, how do you keep getting hotter?”: Lakers owner Jeanie Buss wishes Bulls legend Happy birthday with some flattering remarks

While there were players who agreed on Draymond’s stance, a lot of others did not. Charles Barkley went so far as to call Draymond annoying for what he said. While he was on the Ringer, Chuck also talked about the culture of chasing a championship which has become a common practice in the modern-day NBA.

“Michael Jordan did not give up against the Pistons, he got better”: Charles Barkley

It has become a common practice for the players to switch teams if they cannot find success with one. This is one of the things the former players frown upon a lot. The process of free agency and demanding a trade was not as easy in the former days.

Charles Barkley, while on Bill Simmons’ The Ringer podcast, talks about the same. He uses Michael Jordan as an example for the same. Michael Jordan went 7 years in his career even before achieving some success and making it to the playoffs.

Even in their first few matchups in the postseason, the Pistons beat Jordan and his Bulls big time. However, MJ stuck around, improved his game, and finally got to the promised land.

“Michael Jordan didn’t win for a long time. He didn’t say, ‘Hey I can’t beat the Pistons.’ He got better as a player. That’s what really funny about these guys today, they don’t win a championship in first 3 or 4 years it’s, ‘Well I need some help!’ Everyone needs some help.”

Also Read: “Michael Jordan has the shortest memory I’ve ever seen”: BJ Armstrong, former Bulls teammate of MJ, was in awe of how unaffected he was in clutch situations

The entire episode can be heard here:

What Chuck says makes complete sense. MJ’s loyalty for the team never wavered, and he found success with the Bulls. However, there have been quite some players who stayed loyal to their team and never found team success.

About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh

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Raahib Singh is an NBA Journalist and Content Strategist at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him towards TSR. He started playing basketball at 14 and has been following the NBA since 2013. His entry into the basketball world perfectly coincided with Stephen Curry putting the league on notice. Having followed the league for a long time, he decided to use his knowledge to become a sportswriter with The SportsRush in 2020. Raahib loves to put up some shots in his spare time, watch Cricket, Formula 1, and/or read a nice thriller.

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