Life has its preplanned reality for everybody in the world. We all come across people who we meet and become extremely close to. Sometimes such friendships last forever while in other cases, people come and go to teach us a lesson. That’s the kind of friendship Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan shared ever since going pro in 1984.
Shortly after entering the NBA, Chuck and MJ would end up competing for Team USA together. They’ve fought several battles alongside each other and made many incredible runs together in the NBA. Jordan turned out to be the most successful of the two. Mainly because MJ dominated the playoffs during the 90s while Barkley always happened to be on the losing side of various scenarios. Despite their record against each other, Barkley has also had great success individually.
However, their friendship went on to last for over two and a half decades. Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan would appear on television shows together, play golf together or simply roast one another in front of the camera. While Jordan eventually branched out into the world of business, Chuck went on to work in sports entertainment. The two have been very successful in their respective fields as well.
Charles Barkley’s comments on the Hornets led Michael Jordan to sever their friendship
Charles Barkley is known for being brutally honest with people. Such individuals aren’t afraid to voice their opinions even if it would hurt others. However, this is ultimately what led Michael Jordan to sever their friendship. The former Phoenix Suns MVP forward once revealed that he confronted MJ for hiring his friends to high positions on the Charlotte Hornets. He said, “And what I said, I think that he don’t have enough people around him that are gonna tell him, ‘No.'”
The 6x NBA Champion took offense to Charles’ comment because he felt that the latter wasn’t being a supportive friend. Barkley added, “I’m gonna do my job. Because I have zero credibility if I criticize other people in the same boat and not criticize my best friend.” Chuck felt that he did the right thing by looking out for Jordan, who had just bought the Hornets at the time.
Either way, Charles has previously stated that he is more than happy to welcome MJ back into his life. On the other hand, Michael Jordan recently sold the Hornets for a whopping $3 billion. Over the last ten years, Charlotte has not had too much success on the court. They’ve not made consistent playoff runs either which fans are hoping will turn around under the new ownership.