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Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time. He's had many amazing duels with Charles Barkley. While Barkley is generally not regarded as one of the top players in NBA history, he is one of the best all-time rebounders.
The two players played 55 games against each other, 39 in the regular season and 16 in the playoffs. Barkley defeated Jordan 20 times during the regular season, but MJ was victorious in 12 playoff games.
This Michael Jordan vs. Charles Barkley comparison will include the stats of the two players on both offense and defense. Their playoff matchups will also be included.
Michael Jordan vs. Charles Barkley - Offense comparison
Jordan was one of the most lethal scorers in the history of the league. Meanwhile, Barkley was a master of the low-post game. He had a reliable jump shot.
Jordan recorded two 50-point games against his rival. Barkley's highest-scoring game against MJ was a 42-point performance.
When it comes to assists, Jordan was much better at keeping his teammates involved. He had multiple double-doubles with points and assists.
Both players were exceptional and efficient scorers against each other. Jordan converted 54.1% of his shots against Barkley, which was much higher than his career average. The 1993 MVP, however, shot 61.1% from the field. He had two games where he shot above 80%.
Michael Jordan vs. Charles Barkley - Defense comparison
Besides being the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan is also one of the best defenders the league has ever seen. He was named Defensive Player of the Year back in 1988 and was included in numerous All-Defensive teams.
Barkley, on the other hand, was a below-average defender. He was listed at 6-foot-6, but is believed to be an inch or two shorter. Despite being undersized, the forward was incredible with cleaning the class.
Thanks to his quick hands and amazing reactions, Jordan had an eight-steal game against Barkley. The opponent's career-high in steals against Jordan was four. When it comes to blocks, both players recorded four blocked shots against each other.
Barkley gets an edge when it comes to rebounding as he averaged 11.7 rebounds per game against Jordan. This average includes three different 20-rebound games, including a 40-points, 20-rebound performance from 1987.
Michael Jordan vs. Charles Barkley in the playoffs
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley played three different playoffs series against each other. They met twice in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, while their final matchup was in the 1993 NBA Finals.
Jordan won every series against his opponent, winning 12 games in total to Barkley's four wins.
Jordan, once again, took his game to the next level in the playoffs, and he simply dominated the competition. He averaged 41 points per game in the 1993 NBA Finals, which is still the record for the highest scoring average in a finals series.
The six-time NBA champion had multiple 40-point games against Barkley's 76ers and the Suns. His best scoring performance was 55 points in Game 4 of the 1993 NBA Finals.
Barkley was also quite efficient and a double-double machine, but stopping Michael Jordan was just impossible.
