Long before their beef, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were great friends and two of the most fierce competitors. Whether they matched up on the NBA hardwood or the golf course, the two would go to any extent to emerge victorious. However, Barkley had to tip his hat off to the Chicago Bulls legend as he even dubbed MJ as the GOAT after the 1993 NBA Finals.
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Back in 1993, Barkley and MJ led their respective teams to the NBA Finals. During the six-game series, both superstars performed exceptionally well. While Chuck recorded 27.3 points, 13 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, MJ stuffed the stat sheet with 41 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Years later, after being outplayed by MJ and losing out on the championship, Charles Barkley admitted that Jordan was a greater player, more determined to win. On an episode of the docu-series ‘The Last Dance’, Barkley lauded the 6ft 6” shooting guard, “Listen, there’s no other person — as great as he was, there’s no person in my life I ever met that I wanted to beat more in basketball. Because when you lose to him, you’ve got to hear about it every day for the rest of your life.”
After apologizing to other legends of the games who were the frontrunners for the GOAT debate, Barkley picked Jordan as the rightful recipient of the prestigious title. Despite having a losing record against Jordan, the Round Mound of Rebound revealed being honored to be able to go up against the “best ever”.
“That’s what made him[Michael Jordan] the GOAT. He takes everything personally. It was an honor and a privilege to compete against him. No disrespect to Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain. The best I’ve ever seen in my life is Michael Jordan, and it was an honor and a privilege to play against him. He’s the best I’ve ever seen,” Barkley admitted.
Charles Barkley said Game 2 of the 1993 NBA Finals was “the first time in my life that I felt there was a better basketball player in the world than me” #TheLastDance https://t.co/mr9p2aFYjH
— Meredith Cash (@mercash22) May 4, 2020
Throughout their careers and even post-retirement, Charles Barkley and MJ held each other in high regard. However, their relationship hasn’t been the same since the two strongly opinionated megastars started beefing with each other. However, basketball enthusiasts are hopeful that the Hall of Famers will keep their differences aside and mend their relationship.
Why are Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley beefing?
Michael Jordan is known for holding onto grudges. Whereas, Charles Barkley is popular for being a candid personality and speaking his mind. This is precisely why the two haven’t spoken to each other in ages.
Back in 2012, a few years after Michael Jordan purchased the Charlotte Hornets franchise, Barkley was extremely critical of his best friend’s performance as a team executive. On a podcast appearance, the Phoenix Suns legend revealed that his honest opinions left MJ offended,
“I said, ‘Listen, the toughest thing about Michael, he’s got to put better people around him.’ Because the toughest thing, when you’re famous, they’re on your private jet. You’re buying all the drinks. You’re buying all the dinners. Very few people are gonna be honest with you,'” Barkley recalled.
Even though Barkley was correct, his comments didn’t sit well with His Airness. According to Chuck, MJ seemed disappointed at the fact that “his boy” didn’t have his back. “He went ballistic,” Barkley said. “And he called me, and that’s the last thing I heard was ‘m—- f— you! You supposed to be my boy.’” Since their altercation 12 years ago, the former best friends haven’t spoken to each other.
With Michael Jordan selling the Hornets in 2023, this seems like a great opportunity for the two to rekindle their friendship. However, with both individuals known for being stubborn, it might take quite a while before they decide to bury the hatchet.
