Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley says he dearly misses golfing with his former friend and fierce NBA rival Michael Jordan.
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The friendship between Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan truly was one for the ages during their playing days. At one point, it seemed that the duo would do any and everything together – both in public and in private.
Their friendship, which formed during the 1984 NBA Draft process and Olympics camp, went through some trying times. It only became stronger despite their fierce on-court rivalry, culminating in the 1993 NBA Finals when MJ’s Bulls beat Chuck’s Phoenix Suns 4-2.
Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley and Moses Malone have a backwards free-throw shooting contest in warm ups at the 1988 NBA All-Star game. #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/Do0XdI2Itx
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 8, 2022
McDonald’s MVP Collector Cup (1993)
ft. Charles Barkley & Michael Jordan pic.twitter.com/g1acLLqONU— 90s NBA (@NBA90s) January 24, 2022
However, their friendship could not take the ultimate test of public opinion. When Chuck scorned MJ for his mismanagement of the Charlotte Bobcats (currently called the Hornets), Jordan took offense to it.
The duo were both present together at the NBA 75th Anniversary event recently held during the All-Star Break. But clearly, the bad blood between them was too much for them to make it up at that stage. And this saddens Charles Barkley a lot.
Charles Barkley says he misses golfing with Michael Jordan
The Chuckster was a recent guest with Renee Paquette on a podcast with The Volume. The Chuckster says he sorely regrets not being able to golf with Michael Jordan any more, when asked about the same:
“It was fun. We had a lot of really, really really fun times on the golf course, ‘cuz he’s very competitive and I’m very competitive. He’s a better player than I am.”
“And there’s been a really frustrating situation with me because we don’t play together anymore.”
We hope as basketball fans that MJ and Chuck can make it up with each other. These 2 legends of the game are some of the most memorable characters in sports history.