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Even After Burnt Bridges Since 10 Years+, Charles Barkley Confesses Michael Jordan Left Him Awestruck at First Sight: ?I?ve Never Seen a Guy Run That Fast??

ByRanjitha Ramesh

Apr 9, 2023 | 9:10 AM EDT

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Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley’s friendship was one of the most revered in the NBA community. Jordan rarely shared a great bond with anyone, but what he had with Barkley was special. However, that all came crashing down after Barkley made some remarks against MJ that offended His Airness. Despite MJ’s silence on the subject, Chuckster has publicly discussed it in the media. Barkley recently revealed how he first met MJ and, as expected, he was left in awe of the six-time NBA champion.

Charles Barkley recently appeared on a recent episode of The Steam Room podcast where he talked about his first encounter with Michael Jordan.

Charles Barkley’s first time meeting Michael Jordan

Chuck’s recent appearance on the latest episode of ‘The Steam Room podcast’ took him on a trip down memory lane. While on the show, he recalled the time he met Michael Jordan for the first time. He revealed how they first got to know one another at the 1984 Olympic trial, where they were two of 120 hopefuls competing for a spot on the US basketball team. Despite the great number of athletes present, Chuckster and MJ bonded right away. Unfortunately for Chuck, he was cut from the roster and didn’t make it to the team.

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A few weeks later, John Thompson, the coach at Georgetown University, unexpectedly informed Chuck’s coach that Bobby Knight had cut him due to a personal grudge rather than his abilities. Thompson called Chuck “The second-best player at the Olympic trials.” After his coach hung up the phone, he said, ” I thought you were the best player in the country.” Chuck replied, ” Well, I’m damn sure not“. Barkley then told the host about the time he was left awestruck by Michael Jordan.

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Chuck said, “I just saw the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in my life. As there’s a guy, he’s about an inch taller than me. He can outrun everybody, he can outjump everybody. He said, ‘What’s his name?’ I said his name is Michael Jordan, I said, ‘Coach, I kind of seen him a couple times, but at that time we were all in love with the Big East. I said, ‘Coach, I’ve never seen a guy run that fast and jump that high. So that was my first Michael Jordan moment.”

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Why did they burn bridges?

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were close friends, both on and off the basketball court. Besides being members of the 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team’, they also liked playing golf. However, their friendship took a turn for the worse in 2012 after Barkley questioned Jordan’s leadership of the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan’s choices as the owner of the Hornets drew some severe criticism from Barkley. He claimed that Jordan’s team was “not very good” and that he had made some “poor decisions” regarding the personnel in a radio interview. Jordan, who is known for his tremendous competition and desire to win, was offended by these remarks.

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Regardless of the fact that Jordan still gives Chuck the classic cold shoulder, Barkley still wishes to reignite their friendship. However, it is unsure if Jordan will ever reach out to Chuck. Jordan and Chuck’s ability to mend their friendship will only become clear with time. But in the meantime, the NBA world will keep hoping for a reconciliation. What is your opinion on Chuckster’s and MJ?s feud? Let us know in the comments below.