"I know he's Michael Jordan": Charles Barkley once blasted officials for not whistling against Bulls legend despite blatant foul
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were two of the best players in NBA history and their battles were always intense. They were also fierce competitors and always trashed talked each other. Charles Barkley also used to complain to referees and call them out about how easily they would give a foul to Jordan, while Jordan was telling him that he couldn't stop him.
Such an incident took place during the Chicago Bulls' second three-peat (1996-1998) when Barkley was playing for the Houston Rockets. He roasted the referees for not calling a foul against Jordan.
"This isn't fair. That is a foul. I know he is Michael Jordan. Every time he raises he voice to you all, you all give him calls," Barkley told the referees.
"Shut up, you would have done nothing," Jordan told him.
The two legends were best friends at the time, despite their on-court battles and trash-talking. They stayed friends for a few years, but that ended a decade ago after Charles Barkley made some public comments about Jordan's tenure as Charlotte Hornets owner.
Since then, the two have not spoken and have met each other only at some public NBA events.
Charles Barkley explains why his friendship with Michael Jordan came to an end
Charles Barkley has repeatedly addressed his friendship with Michael Jordan and why it came to an end, citing that the all-time great didn't like what Barkley said about him.
Barkley told 60 Minutes' Jon Wertheim:
"Michael disagreed with something I said, and he broke off the friendship. And what I said, I think that he don't have enough people around him that are gonna tell him, 'No.' And he got really offended, and we haven't spoken.
"But, Jon, I really, 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."
Charles Barkley elaborated on his point during an interview with Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated:
"I lost my best friend because I criticized him. Guys can always say about me, ‘Charles, you might not like him, but he’s gonna be fair,’ because of the situation with Michael. I always said, ‘Wait a minute, I criticize other general managers. Just because the guy is my best friend, if I have a double standard, that’s not fair.'
"Like I said, Michael got mad about something I said, we haven’t spoken and now two times a year I have to defend. … I’m like, ‘Yo, man, Michael’s doing great, Charles is doing great.’
I wish him nothing but the best. But, like, dude, we’re not like Prince Harry and Prince William. We’re not taking shots and by backdoor channels all the time, Michael’s doing great, and I’m doing great."
Jordan was a six-time champion and Finals MVP, while Barkley never won an NBA championship, despite claiming the 1993 NBA MVP. The two were part of Team USA which dominated the 1992 Olympic Games and won the gold medal, as such they were called the "Dream Team."