“Charles, a white man can’t guard me, y’all better cut that bul*****t out” - Charles Barkley on Michael Jordan’s trash talk during the 1993 NBA Finals

Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls got the better of Charles Barkley's Phoenix Suns in the '93 NBA Finals. [Photo: Franchise Sports]

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley met only once in the NBA Finals. Jordan’s Chicago Bulls were aiming to complete a three-peat while Barkley’s Phoenix Suns were looking to win their first-ever league crown. In the end, “His Airness” dominance was just too much for “Sir Charles” and his crew to overcome.

Heading into the NBA Finals, the biggest question was whether Charles Barkley would take on Michael Jordan head-to-head for all the marbles. As “Chuck” lived in the paint, his natural matchup in the series was against Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen and even Bill Cartwright. The enviable task of guarding Jordan fell on Suns forward Dan Majerle.

Jackie McMullan, in The Icons Club by the Ringer, pulled up in an interview with Charles Barkley as he narrated Jordan’s reaction upon seeing Dan Majerle guard him:

“‘Chuck, Dan Majerle is guarding me.’ I’m like, ‘yeah, he’s our best defender.’ He says, ‘Charles, a white man can’t guard me, y’all better cut that bullshit out.’ You just gotta laugh when you hear it.”

In Episode 3 of ‘Icons Club,’ Jackie MacMullan details how a young David Stern leveraged the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson to market the game like never before: theringer.com/2022/3/25/2299…

In three rounds of the playoffs, Michael Jordan led the NBA in scoring with 35.1 points to go with 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.1 steals. The Bulls swept the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds before throttling the New York Knicks 4-2 in the East Finals.

With Dan Majerle as his primary defender in the ‘93 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan went berserk. His 35.1 PPG significantly went higher at 41 PPG. He made 50.8% of his field goals, including 40% of his three-point shots. Jordan led both teams in 5 of the 6 games. He was tied with Charles Barkley with 42 points in Game 2.

Game 2 was particularly remarkable because Charles Barkley specifically mentioned it in the 6th episode of The Last Dance:

“In Game 2, I played as well as I could play, and Michael just outplayed me. That was probably the first time in my life that I felt like there was a better basketball player in the world than me, to be honest with you.”

25 years ago today: Bulls vs Suns. Game 2. 1993 NBA Finals.

Jordan: 42 pts, 12 rebs, 9 asst
Pippen: 15 pts, 12 rebs, 12 asst
Barkley: 42 pts, 13 rebs, 4 asst https://t.co/1YjHLFVHfM

To Dan Majerle’s credit, he fought tooth and nail. But short of putting him in handcuffs, there was no stopping Michael Jordan in his prime.

Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan are still not on speaking terms

Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan are not in speaking terms in more than 10 years. [Photo: Sporting News]

Before their much-publicized rift, Chuck and Mike were very good friends. Long after they played in the NBA, they remained close and often hung out together. That friendship ended 10 years ago when Barkley, as an NBA on TNT analyst, spoke candidly about the way Jordan was building the Charlotte Bobcats.

His comments did not sit well with Jordan, who, as expected, took it personally. Over the years, Barkley has been resigned to the fact that they’ll likely never talk to each other again.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. We’re both stubborn. Look, I love the dude like a brother and wish him nothing but the best. I got no animosity toward him. I miss his friendship.”

It’s a shame that two of the most charismatic and legendary players in the NBA can’t put their differences aside and renew their friendship.