Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley – A Friendship That Fell Off Because of Legacy and Massive Egos

Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Charles Barkley were once very close friends and spent a lot of time together on and off the field. The trio was arguably the most popular friends group ever. NBA legends Jordan and Barkley were friends from a very early stage of their basketball careers. The two often went head to head on the court, and off the court as well. They were both huge golf aficionados and used to spend hours on the golf course. The superstars played in multiple celebrity tournaments as well. Subsequently, golf legend Tiger Woods decided to join their elite friend circle.

Woods had idolized Jordan when he was growing up. Furthermore, MJ had achieved everything that Woods aspired to achieve. So he was happy to befriend the six-time NBA champion and a superstar like Barkley as well. The trio became close friends when Woods was in his prime. However, things went south soon.

Tiger Woods’ fallout with Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley

Not everyone was happy when Tiger Woods became friends with Michael Jordan. Woods’ former lawyer John Merchant warned the young star to stay from Jordan. According to a report from Vanity Fair, Merchant said, “Stay away from that son of a bi*ch, because he doesn?t have anything to offer to the f*cking world in which he lives except playing basketball.”

Despite the warning from his lawyer, Woods continued his friendship with the Chicago Bulls legend and Charles Barkley.

Then in 2009, after Woods’ car crash, a major controversy transpired when shocking revelations about his infidelity started to come out. The golf superstar subsequently decided to take a break from the sport. Furthermore, he stopped talking with Jordan and Barkley. Many claimed that the basketball legends were a bad influence on Woods and this was the reason his then-wife Elin Nordegren wanted Woods to cut ties with them.

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Also, according to the report, the trio gambled a lot during their trips to Las Vegas. The three reportedly gambled in an ultra-exclusive V.I.P casino. It was no secret that Barkley and Jordan were avid gamblers. However, it was a shock to many that Woods used to indulge in gambling too with his NBA buddies. Furthermore, according to a report from NBC Chicago, “Tiger also learned from Mike how to womanize like a pro”.

Barkley was once asked about the criticism that he was a bad influence on Woods. The Philadelphia 76ers legend unequivocally denied the claims. Furthermore, he claimed that he did not meet Woods very often and also noted that he did not know anything about his infidelity. Barkley added that Elin Nordegren wanted Woods to be around none of his friends after the controversy, not just him.

Jordan took Barkley’s comments personally

After the falling out with Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were still friends. But not for long. Jordan acquired majority ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010 and then renamed it the Hornets. However, as an owner, MJ failed to emulate his success as an athlete. The Hornets have had very little success during his tenure as the owner so far.

Barkley, on the other hand, became a basketball analyst after retiring from the NBA. The 1993 NBA MVP is someone who always tries to speak his mind and give his honest opinion on pressing matters in the basketball world. So he had no problem criticizing his friend, Jordan, for his poor decision-making and lack of success as the owner of the Hornets. Barkley argued that Jordan surrounds himself with “yes men” who do not point out his mistakes. However, this did not sit well with the five-time NBA MVP. As the iconic saying goes, “Jordan took it personally“.

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This prompted an infuriated reaction from Jordan when the two spoke over a phone call. The two are not on speaking terms ever since. Barkley has talked about his beef with MJ multiple times. The 11-time NBA All-Star maintains that he was just doing his job when he criticized Jordan. He added that he cannot spare the billionaire because of his friendship with him and then criticize other owners. The Hall of Famer has admitted that he is open to speaking with MJ again but the initial step has to come from the 14-time NBA All-Star.