Charles Barkley was a guest on ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Wednesday. The Hall of Famer and star of TNT’s Inside the NBA told Waddle & Silvy about how his long time friendship with Michael Jordan fell apart.
Jordan took exception to Barkley’s criticism of how His Airness ran the Charlotte Bobcats. Barkley made the comments in his role as a commentator and analyst. Jordan saw it as a personal attack though.
“The thing that bothered me the most about that whole thing, I don’t think that I said anything that bad,” Barkley told ESPN 1000. “I’m pretty sure I said, ‘As much as I love Michael, until he stops hiring them kiss-asses, and his best friends, he’s never going to be successful as a general manager.’ And I remember pretty much verbatim I said that. And the thing that really pissed me off about it later is Phil Jackson said the exact same thing.”
Barkley’s relationship with Jordan was highlighted as part of the 1992 Dream Team during Sunday’s part 5 of The Last Dance. Part 6 highlighted Jordan’s Bulls taking down Barkley’s Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals.
“The guy was like a brother to me for, shoot, 20-something years,” Barkley said. “At least 20-something years. And I do, I feel sadness. But to me he’s still the greatest basketball player ever. I wish him nothing but the best. But, there’s nothing I can do about it, brother.”
Barkley has never compromised in his criticism of NBA players, coaches, and executives. He told Waddle & Silvy that it has made him plenty of enemies in his media career.
“Joel Embiid hates me because I call him lazy. Which, No. 1, I’m like, ‘Dude, you got to get in shape to play basketball.’ They don’t make him practice. It’s like, well, he’s got bad legs. That’s not how you get your legs better. You work out and get your legs better. Get him in the pool or something like that. But he’s a great kid, but I’m like, ‘Yo, man. You got to get in shape to play basketball.’ So I’m going to do my job no matter what.”
As for the future of his relationship with Jordan, Barkley told Waddle & Silvy “he can call me.” He also added that it has been a long time since the two last spoke, so he doesn’t expect Jordan to ever acknowledge that he was wrong.
