Best Friends to Foes, What Happened Between Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley?

NBA legends Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were very close during their time in the NBA and after their retirement as well. The duo’s love for golf played a major part in their friendship. They were fierce competitors whenever they faced each other. Notably, Jordan broke Barkley’s heart in the 1993 NBA Finals. Despite this, they still remained close. However, the Hall of Famers have not spoken to each other for over ten years after an incident that hurt their friendship.

So what was the reason that broke the once unbreakable bond?

How did the friendship between Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley begin?

Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan were born just three days apart in 1963. Both were high school superstars and dominated the college scene. Interestingly, MJ and Chuck did not face each other during their three years in college. They both declared for the 1984 NBA draft. While the Chicago Bulls selected Jordan at #3, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Barkley at #5.? Notably, Barkley once opened up about the time he first met Jordan up close.

It was during the tryouts for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics after the draft. He noted that he had never seen anything like MJ with the way he played. Also, Barkley’s joke about the coach caught Jordan’s attention. While Jordan made the team, Barkley did not. However, the two soon became superstars in the NBA and became close friends. T

hey spent hours and hours of their leisure time playing golf while competing against each other. Even though they did not play together in the league, fans still witnessed their chemistry whenever they played alongside each other as All-Stars.

Furthermore, their chemistry was in full swing whenever they appeared together on TV shows. Notably, the duo was at its hilarious best during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Chuck also played a crucial role in Jordan’s superhit Space Jam. The two were so close that they even played golf during the 1993 NBA Finals, where they faced each other! As Jordan and the Bulls came out victorious, there were reports that MJ bought Barkley a diamond earring during the series.

What happened to Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan?s friendship?

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley remained close friends after their retirement from the league. While Jordan fully immersed himself in the business world, Barkley became a basketball analyst. The two still spent time together whenever they had the opportunity. Both were very successful in their respective fields.

MJ increased his net worth massively and became the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets in 2010. On the other hand, Barkley gained massive popularity for his honest takes as a sportscaster and signed a huge contract. But things went south between the two when their professional paths crossed.

The Hornets did not have much success with Jordan at the helm. Despite multiple chances to improve the team, the front office did not deliver. There were some poor decisions with draft picks and trades which contributed to their weak performance. As the Hornets came under the cosh, MJ was criticized by many, including Barkley. However, it has to be noted that it had just been two years since MJ took over as majority owner when Chuck criticized his ownership.

So this did not sit well with the 6x NBA champion who called Barkley and let his frustration known. However, the 1993 NBA MVP was not ready to back down because he believed that he was just doing his job. The two have not spoken ever since, and it has been over a decade now.

Will Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan ever be friends again?

Charles Barkley has multiple times opened up about his broken friendship with Michael Jordan. Given his profession and the amount of media appearances he makes, the topic comes up a lot. On the other hand, Jordan, who now rarely makes any public appearances, has not spoken about it. Whenever Barkley talked about it, he always maintained that he was doing his job. He was not ready to give MJ leeway just because he was his best friend while criticizing other owners or teams.

The 11x NBA All-Star once cited ego and stubbornness as two reasons preventing them to break their animosity. He noted they are both stubborn, which would make it tough for them to make the first move to speak again. Furthermore, he also said that the people surrounding both would also add fuel to the fire, which makes it challenging for them to reconcile. When Chuck was asked whether he and Jordan would ever be friends again, he said MJ had his number implying he wouldn’t make the first move.

Charles Barkley regrets lost friendship with Michael Jordan

Charles Barkley has made it clear that he would not make the first move to renew his friendship with His Airness. However, he has multiple times noted his regret about the broken relationship. He once disclosed that it was heartbreaking to lose the 5x NBA MVP as a friend.

He said, “That was very heartbreaking for me because Michael was my best friend, and he got offended by something I said, and uh, it was heartbreaking.”

The former forward also said that Jordan was like a brother to him for around 27 years. However, he concluded that there was nothing he could do about the issue between the two.