Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan were once great friends back in the day. Both players entered the league in the 1984 NBA draft only a couple of picks apart and they shared a very close bond for years. But that bond soon went downhill due to Barkley?s comments regarding Jordan’s ownership of the Charlotte Hornets. Now, when asked about his relationship with the Bulls legend, Barkley drew a comparison to the Royal family.
After retiring from the league, Charles Barkley transitioned from a player to a beloved analyst. However, he has often faced the wrath of NBA stars for his controversial takes. His beef with Kevin Durant is well-known as the two have gotten into a back-and-forth on multiple occasions. On the other hand, Michael Jordan went on to build his business empire with his Jordan brand and more over the years. Nonetheless, his ownership of the Hornets has been heavily criticized over the years.
Charles Barkley draws a Royal comparison
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Michael Jordan became the first African American owner of an NBA team when he bought the Charlotte Hornets back in 2010. Unfortunately, as good of a player as Jordan was, the same could not be said about his tenure as an owner. This led Charles Barkley to criticize MJ for the lack of success by the Hornets.
While many other analysts around the league called MJ out for the same as well, the six-time NBA champion felt betrayed when ?Sir Charles? called him out over his ownership skills.?Recently, Charles Barkley made an appearance on ‘The Dan Patrick Show‘. That is when the host asked him about his relationship with MJ.
Barkley had talked about his relationship with MJ on ?60 Minutes? which automatically led Patrick to ask whether Barkley heard from Jordan after that. This led the Philadelphia 76ers legend to say, ?They act like we?re Prince William and Prince Harry.?
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?Hey, I love Michael like a brother. He?s doing great, I?m doing great. He got mad at me. It?s no big deal. It?s unfortunate, but I wish him nothing but the best. I hope he?s doing great but hey, it?s unfortunate,? added Barkley. The Chuckster has often stated how disappointed he was after MJ stopped talking to him. Nonetheless, he still hopes things can get better.
Why has Michael Jordan not spoken to Barkley?
It is safe to say that the Chicago Bulls legend didn’t have the greatest of times as the owner of the Hornets franchise. Michael Jordan?s decisions as an owner were not the best. Poor contracts, skipping on generational talent in the draft, and other baffling personnel decisions have led to the criticism. One of his critics was his former friend, Charles Barkley.
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Watch This Story – Charles Barkley, Steve Kerr, and other players who Michael Jordan has ticked off
Since then, Jordan has not spoken to Barkley despite his numerous attempts to hash things out. This led to losing records in most seasons over the past decade, barely any players to build the team around, and so much more. Barkley felt as if he was only doing his job, but Michael Jordan certainly did not feel that way. Let?s see if the beef between the two ever gets over and they hash things out.