Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan are two of the best competitors the sports world has ever known. In the 1990s, the two faced each other on several occasions, including the 1993 NBA Finals. In between battles on the court, the two also struck up a friendship, though that bond has since dissipated. Barkley has opened up about her past relationship with Jordan over the years, but in a recent interview, the star got incredibly candid about the “loss” of his friendship with the Chicago Bulls legend.
The Round Mound of Rebound appeared in an episode of Here we go! Podcasts , in which he talks about his television career with Tom Brady and Jim Gray. Brady finally asked the former Phoenix Sun if he had ever faced serious consequences from the things he had said over the years. From there, he admitted that perhaps the greatest loss he suffered was his relationship with Michael Jordan and explained why things fell apart between the two:
I think probably, Michael and me [Jordan] they were best friends, this is probably the highlight. Michael Jordan, losing his friendship was probably the highlight that happened to me. But he was honest about what he thought. I said, ‘Look, the hardest thing about Michael is that he has to surround himself with better people.’
those who watch charles barkley inside Inside the NBA Know that you rarely back down when sharing your opinion, but sometimes your comments get you in trouble. Some will recall that the debacle is over “the great women” in San Antonio . During the recent interview, Barkley shared his motivation for the statements he made about MJ. He also revealed how long it had been since they last spoke:
Because the hard part, when you’re famous, I’m on your private jet, you buy all the drinks, you buy all the dinners. Very few people will be honest with you. And I try to surround myself with people like, hey, if I’m joking, please tell me. And Michael took offense at something I said about him. And we probably haven’t spoken in almost 10 years. And he was my best friend at the time. And I love this guy like a brother and we are both stubborn and haven’t spoken to each other.
This latest information would seem to indicate that despite nearly a decade having passed since their last conversation, Charles Barkley still feels love for his colleague Dream Teamer . There have been many other former players who have had their own feuds over the years. How to forget the Animosity between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal when they played for the Lakers. Luckily, the two buried the hatchet years later, and if they can fix all that bad blood, I think Barkley and his old friend might do the same.
However, there is one former NBA player I really don’t see Michael Jordan reconciling with any time soon: Scottie Pippen. The former Chicago Bull has been embroiled in a one-sided feud with Jordan since the launch of ESPN. The Last Dance (available to stream with a Netflix subscription ). Pippen says her former costar has been using the Emmy-winning docuseries to draw attention to herself and highlight her costars in the process. Pippen also said this Jordan “ruined” basketball .
Most sports fans will tell you that sometimes old wounds never heal, but hopefully at least Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley can mend things. Off the field, they had some incredibly fun times. (Personally, I like articulation interview they did with Oprah Winfrey years ago.) Making amends wouldn’t be impossible, but it can all be difficult when those involved are, as Barkley put it, “stubborn.”
Source: Cinemablend
