His Airness didn’t go easy on his frenemy during their last conversation. He was upset, and it was evident when Charles Barkley recounted the 6x NBA champ’s exact words. And just like that, it has been ten years since. The two have immense love and respect for each other, but both refuse to budge and initiate the conversation first by seeking an apology. Years later, this regret still lingers upon the Philadelphia 76ers legend.

When asked if he ever regretted not apologizing or escalating minor issues in his life, he paused for a moment before confessing it was his friendship with Jordan. He regrets losing his friendship, but he still won’t be apologizing for it. 

“I think the biggest one and no, I shouldn’t apologize for it. You know, I think that me and Michael ended our relationship when I said that he was never going to be successful as a general manager because he had too many kiss a–es around him. I probably, I think, that’s probably the thing that hurts me the most because this guy was arguably my best friend. And when I said that, he called me and cursed me and we haven’t spoken since that night,” Chuck said on The Mark Jackson Show.

From golfing sessions to even ga-bling, the two best friends spent a lot of time off-court. They were competitive on the court but equally friendly off it. Looking back, Chuck recalled that one call when Jordan went “ballistic” after his comments. It was not his criticism but the fractured relationship with Jordan that he regrets. “What I said was true, that’s probably the only thing. I don’t regret saying it, I regret losing a good, one of my best friends,” he further stated on the podcast.

Mark Jackson made a heartfelt plea to the two NBA legends, saying, “We wanna see that united… You guys are two class acts, two quality acts, two all-time greats and had an incredible bond that, you know, we celebrated as former players.” The Chuckster, however, doesn’t see it that way. “Yeah, it’s really unfortunate. But you know, he’s headstrong. Listen, I love the guy and wish him nothing but the best. And it’s just unfortunate.”

In one of his previous conversations, he recounted the call and said, “He called me and the last thing I heard was ‘Motherf—-er, f— you. You’re supposed to be my boy.’ I said ‘Man, I gotta do my job.’ We haven’t spoken since that night.”

We all know that Charles Barkley doesn’t filter out his thoughts, and he does get a bit too far with his brutal honesty. Does his comment hint that it might have been the same case with Jordan almost a decade back? What did he say that angered the Chicago Bulls legend so much, though?

What did Charles Barkley say to Michael Jordan?

Sir Charles just went with his usual criticism as part of his job. In doing so, he might have hurt the feelings with his sharp criticism of how Michael Jordan was struggling with his management work for the Charlotte Hornets. After Jordan joined the team, the Hornets had struggled to reach the playoffs, let alone win a championship. 

The Philadelphia 76ers legend further went on to berate how Jordan keeps employing his friends, who aren’t likely to point out his mistakes. “I love the guy and miss the guy, but I gotta do my job. I think I’m fair to everybody,” Chuck said, explaining his stance. In 2023, after years of mediocrity with the franchise, Jordan sold his majority stake in the Hornets.

Was Chuck too hard on MJ? Has it been unnecessarily stretched out for too long? While the 61-year-old claimed that he wouldn’t apologize, he did admit it previously. In a conversation with Taylor Rooks for Bleacher Report, Barkley said, “I probably would say, ‘What I said, I believed. I’m sorry you took offense to it. And let’s get past this bulls–t and get back to playing golf and having fun.”

The two have had several fierce matchups with each other but their friendship was equally strong as well. As Chuck mentioned, it’s understandable why he is heartbroken over the loss of such a great friendship.