It is well known that Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were two of the best players in the NBA during the 90s. Both winners of the coveted NBA MVP award had very successful careers on and off the court. However, only a few people know the strong friendship they shared.
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Jordan and Barkley entered the league together in 1984 as the top 10 first-round picks in the draft. They had several battles on the court and faced each other in the 1993 NBA finals. The duo also represented the USA National team in the Olympics, which was famously referred to as ‘The Dream Team’.
The two legends were often sighted hanging out with each other in social gatherings and also enjoyed playing golf together. They even appeared as guests together on the Oprah Winfrey Show. It’s a disgrace that the players had a fallout and have been unable to reconcile their differences.
Charles Barkley mocks Michael Jordan over schedule
In 1997, Charles Barkley was playing his first season with the Houston Rocket after forming a superteam with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. The superstars were all in the later years of their careers, and the heat of the schedule was getting to them. When Michael Jordan entered the locker room to visit Charles, he hilariously said the following:
“Y’all have a hard week? You only played two games. You’re getting that preferential treatment from the NBA. They’ve got to guarantee y’all a spot in the Finals because you’re the only good team in the East.”
Chuck has always been known for his sense of humor and never misses an opportunity to mock someone. It doesn’t matter if you are the greatest and the most powerful player in sports. The duo continued the banter that ended at the expense of all the teams in the league. Here is what they said:
Jordan: “Only good team in the East? You’ve got only five teams over .500 in the West. We’ve got 10.”
Barkley: “Yeah, but how many of ’em are any good?”
Why did Barkley and Jordan fallout?
One of the most talked about friendships in sports resulted in a bitter fallout when Charles criticized Michael-owned Charlotte Bobcats in the media. Barkley’s popularity as an NBA analyst for TNT has grown leaps and bounds over the years, however, he has had to pay a price for it.
Known for his bold statements, Chuck commented on Jordan’s leadership and asked him to surround himself with better people. This did not sit well with Michael, and he confronted him, resulting in an exchange of unpleasant words. Since then, they have met each other a handful of times, and their egos prevent them from moving on.
