Charles Barkley Thinks That His Friendship With Michael Jordan Can’t Be Fixed

During their respective playing careers in the NBA, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley had a very public friendship. The two would be seen out in public playing golf, they would spend time playing cards late into the night, they have done countless interviews together, they even both played on ‘The Dream Team’ back during the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. That friendship might not ever be what it once was though, at least in Barkley’s eyes.

In 2012, Barkley made comments about Jordan, criticizing how Jordan ran the Charlotte Hornets. Barkley said that Jordan had too many people-pleasers around him which had a negative effect on how Jordan ran the franchise as owner. It was these comments that created a fracture in the relationship between the two long-time friends. 

In an interview with ESPN Chicago, Barkley said he is not optimistic about the two ever getting back to where they were as friends. “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.”

As a member of the media, Barkley was annoyed that his comments seemed to create such a big rift between him and Jordan, although it is part of Barkley’s job to be critical of anything and everything basketball. “But part of my job (as an analyst) is because I can’t go on TV and say, ‘Another general manager sucks’ and then just because Michael’s like a brother to me say, ‘He’s doing a fantastic job.’ That would be disingenuous.”

Jordan has not made any comments publicly regarding his relationship with Barkley.