Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley aren’t “Prince William and Harry,” according to the NBA-on-TNT legend.
- Charles Barkley has repeatedly stated that he will not try to mend the friendship
- Michael Jordan and Sir Charles were once best friends – they came from the NBA
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Charles Barkley is tired of talking to his former best friend and NBA icon Michael Jordan about his aftermath.
The lovable TNT personality and His Airness went from brothers to strangers about a decade ago after Barkley criticized Jordan’s performance as then-GM of the Charlotte Hornets.
‘Yes! “One hundred percent,” Barkley said at SI Media with Jimmy Traina when asked if he was exaggerating the momentum.
“One hundred percent! Because you know what, Jimmy, they’re acting like us Prince William and Prince Harry.
“I lost my best friend because I criticized him. Guys can always say about me, “Charles, you may not like him, but he’ll be fair,” because of the situation with Michael.”
Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan – pictured in 1996 – were once close friends
According to the NBA broadcaster, Barkley and Jordan haven’t spoken to each other for “probably almost a decade.”
It seems that an ESPN radio interview in 2012 doomed their relationship. Barkley never specified which interview it was or when Jordan called, but he speculated to All The Smoke that it was “probably almost 10 years ago” now.
“I’ve always said, ‘Wait a minute, I’m criticizing other CEOs. Just because the guy is my best friend doesn’t make it fair for me to have double standards.”
Faced with a fascination with two of the NBA’s most powerful former players and figures, Barkley has had to grapple with it ever since their friendship broke up.
“Like I said, Michael was angry about something. I said we hadn’t spoken and now I have to defend myself twice a year…I’m like, ‘Yo man, Michael’s doing great, Charles is doing great.’ I wish him the best.
‘But dude, we’re not like Prince Harry and Prince William.’ We don’t do shots and through backdoor channels all the time, Michael is great and I’m great.’
The interesting thing about the situation is that despite their obvious mutual interests and relationships, Jordan and Barkley were rarely in the same places.
“I think we actually just bumped into each other, we’ve never met in person or close enough, but I think we’ve only actually been in the same room three times in the last 25 years.”
“We were in New York at the same hotel once, and then for a year in the Hall of Fame he had to introduce someone on stage, and I had to introduce someone on stage.” And I think the third time was at the event for the 75th anniversary and we never got closer than 25 feet apart.
“But we don’t go to many NBA events and I don’t go to NBA games for the simple reason that I’ve had my day. I don’t want to take anything away from today’s players.”