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NBA legends Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley have become estranged over the years. However, the two Hall of Famers were on good terms during their playing days. In fact, Jordan and Barkley used to regularly golf together, even during the playoffs.
According to former Chicago Bulls assistant coach Johnny Bach, MJ even gifted "Chuck" a $20,000 diamond earring after one of their golfing matches between Game 3 and Game 4 of the 1993 NBA Finals.
However, Bach said that when he asked Jordan why he did it, the Bulls legend explained that he was just playing mind games with Barkley.
“He won’t get in my way the rest of the series,” Jordan said.
“What’s $20,000 to me? Charles thinks we’re great friends. I hate that fat f**k.”
The Chicago Bulls went on to win Game 4 against Charles Barkley’s Phoenix Suns, with Jordan dropping an NBA Finals career-high of 55 points. He followed that up with 41 points in a Game 5 loss.
Jordan then capped off the finals with 33 points in Game 6 to close out Phoenix 4-2. The win marked the Bulls’ third straight championship and the first of the franchise's two 3-peats during the Jordan era.
Barkley, meanwhile, finished with 32, 24 and 21 points respectively in Games 4, 5 and 6. He also had a triple-double in Game 4.
So it’s unclear if Jordan’s mind games had any effect on Barkley.
Charles Barkley on the deterioration of his relationship with Michael Jordan
During a recent interview on "60 Minutes," Charles Barkley explained why he and Michael Jordan had a falling out. Barkley said that it had to do with his criticism of Jordan’s management of the Charlotte Hornets in the early 2010s.
“Michael disagreed with something I said, and he broke off the friendship,” Barkley said. “And what I said, I think that he doesn't have enough people around him that are gonna tell him, ‘No.’
“And he got really offended, and we haven't spoken. But 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.”
When asked if he would ever try and make things right with Jordan, Barkley explained that it is difficult as both of them have big egos:
“I got an ego too, Jon (Wertheim),” Barkley said.
“You can be great at something... That doesn't give you the right to be a jerk. He’s got my number.”
For more on Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan’s former friendship, click here.
