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“Michael Jordan smacked my hand when I tried give a homeless man money”: When Charles Barkley revealed just how frugal the Bulls legend was

Samir Mehdi
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“Michael Jordan smacked my hand when I tried give a homeless man money”: When Charles Barkley revealed just how frugal the Bulls legend was

Michael Jordan once smacked Charles’s hand, according to Charles Barkley, when he tried to give a homeless man some money. 

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley shared quite the friendship with one another while in the NBA together. The two were competitors of the highest order when on the court together, even facing off against each other in the 1993 NBA Finals.  

Their friendship/rivalry even led to Jordan buying Charles $20,000 earrings to give him a false sense of friendship and to ultimately take him off his game. Other than that, the two would go golfing with one another with Barkley having a notoriously atrocious swing and Jordan, as usual, betting on holes.

Also read: “I was the last guy to beat Michael Jordan in a playoff situation”: Looking back to when Shaq talked about

However, following both their retirements from the NBA and Charles Barkley’s ascension into the NBA analysis realm of sports media, the two had a major falling out. 

Barkley keeping it real and saying Michael Jordan wasn’t a good NBA executive when with the Washington Wizards is what led to this and fast-forward to present day and the two still do not have a personal relationship. 

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley on the Oprah Winfrey Show. 

Before their falling out, both Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley had quite the iconic appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. They would talk about everything from Charles’s disdain for Jordan’s affinity for motorcycles to MJ hilariously telling Barkley that he doesn’t know anything about winning.

Also read: “Michael Jordan made me want to watch the game”: Kevin Durant recollects how the Bulls GOAT had a big influence on him growing up

In one instance, Chuck would say something that would stick with MJ for the rest of life. The notion that Jordan was cheap became a mainstream narrative after the Suns and Sixers legend would tell a story of MJ being cheap and frugal with his money. 

According to Barkley, Michael Jordan smacked his hand when he tried to give a homeless man some money because if the man can ask for money, he could also say, ‘Welcome to McDonald’s, may I take your order please?’ 

https://youtube.com/shorts/7GpYQCMG1go?feature=share

This is quite the grim look over homelessness because if it were that easy, everybody would be doing it. Sadly, that is not the case. Jordan may have gotten a pass for being a prick with his Bulls an Wizards teammates but carrying that same ‘mentality’ over into the real world in situations like this isn’t exactly recommended. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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