Michael Jordan’s (now-seemingly dissolved) friendship with Scottie Pippen is relatively well-known to sports fans. However, some may not be aware of the fact that His Airness was particularly close with another NBA great. He and Charles Barkley were very good friends, once upon a time. They forged an eclectic bond early in their careers, which resulted in some fairly humorous interactions between them during interviews. However, they eventually became estranged, and some have questioned whether the two might make amends. Barkley fielded a query on that topic and dropped a four-word response.
Those who watch the 60-year-old sportscaster – who inked a massive deal with Inside the NBA in 2022 – know that he’s one of the most outspoken pundits on TV. He has no qualms about sharing his thoughts on a given subject, even those pertaining to his personal life. The former Phoenix Sun appeared on an episode of 60 Minutes, during which he talked about various aspects of his career. Interviewer Jon Wertheim also asked him about his friendship with MJ, specifically posing the question of whether they’ll reconcile. The Alabama native bluntly responded with the following four words:
He’s got my number.
I’d say that’s a direct response that effectively conveys how he feels about a potential reconciliation. Of course, Charles Barkley isn’t exactly a man of few words, and that’s not all he had to say. Earlier in the conversation, he explained why he and Michael Jordan had their falling-out. As he’s detailed in the past, Jordan allegedly took issue with a comment his longtime pal made about his management team. Barkley apparently stated that the Jordan Brand head honcho needed a better support system. During this latest interview, the former NBA MVP opined that his former friend “didn’t have enough people around him that are going to tell him, ‘no.’” And Barkley isn't backing down from those comments either:
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. … You can’t be great at something… That doesn’t give you the right to be a jerk.
Amid an interview that took place last year, the Houston Rockets alum talked about “losing” his friendship with Michael Jordan. He said, at that time, that he still loved Jordan “like a brother” but that because they’re both “stubborn,” they haven’t talked. Sir Charles’ latest comments also suggest that this matter all comes down to consistency on his part. To be totally honest, his rationale does make sense.
Though they may be estranged these days, Charles Barkley has spoken out on his Dream Team cohort’s behalf in recent years. Barkley clapped back at Scottie Pippen after he took shots at Air Jordan over ESPN’s The Last Dance and more. In Barkley’s estimation, the hall of famer was only “big-game hunting” in order to sell his memoir at the time. He later shared more thoughts on Pippen, admitting that he didn’t actually read the book but that some of the comments the Bulls player had made during interviews “were just really not cool at all.”
It doesn’t look like Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan will reach out to each other anytime soon, especially if ego plays into the situation as heavily as the former suggests. As is true of Jordan's past friendship with Pippen, it’s sad to see two once-good buddies on the outs. Per Barkley’s four-word claim though, the ball is in Jordan’s court, and we’ll see if he decides to make the necessary play.
