Charles Barkley puts Michael Jordan at the top of the list of trash-talkers: “Nobody talks more trash than Michael Jordan”
Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has claimed that Michael Jordan is the biggest trash talker that he has played against. The duo battled each other multiple times during their storied NBA careers, with the Chicago Bulls legend often coming out on top, especially when it mattered most.
Barkley, arguably the most popular basketball analyst on television right now, has claimed that his former friend, teammate, and rival Michael Jordan talked the most trash out of everyone he played against.
Michael Jordan had an incredible and almost mythical reputation in the league amongst his peers during his prime years. The Chicago Bulls legend instilled a crazy amount of fear and respect in his rivals. Moreover, the six-time NBA champion also talked a lot of trash to his opponents as he tried to one-up them mentally.
When asked about which player talks the most trash, Barkley bluntly said the following:
"Nobody talks more trash than Michael Jordan."
Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan have a long and storied history. The duo went from being on-court rivals to best of friends. Barkley and Jordan formed a strong bond when they teamed up on the 'Dream Team' for the 1992 Olympics.
Even after their retirement, the duo maintained their friendship. But their friendship ended a decade back after Barkley criticized Jordan for the way in which he was managing the Charlotte Hornets.
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Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were two of the best players during the 1990s
Charles Barkley went to war with Michael Jordan multiple times during their illustrious careers. Over the course of their NBA careers, the duo have battled each other 39 times in regular season games. Surprisingly, Barkley has a winning record in their head-to-head clashes with the 1993 league MVP, winning 20 of them.
However, Michael Jordan has a massive edge in their playoff battles with the five-time league MVP winning 12 out of their 16 playoff games.
The duo famously battled in the 1993 NBA finals as Charles Barkley and his Pheonix Suns looked to prevent Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls from being the first team to win three championships in a row since Bill Russell's Boston Celtics team. Michael Jordan arguably played his best basketball ever as the Chicago Bulls ended up winning in six competitive games in the NBA finals.
During his illustrious career, Michael Jordan won a lot of individual and team accolades. He won six championships, six finals MVPs, five league MVPs, 10 scoring titles, and a Defensive Player of the Year. Besides individual awards, Jordan also had a massive cultural impact on the sport as he took the game globally in the 1990s.
Charles Barkley is arguably the best power forward to play in that era. Barkley, who is 6-ft-6 tall, played against taller and stronger power forwards and centers in the paint but with his sheer will ended up carving a Hall-of-Fame career for himself. Over the course of his illustrious career, Barkley received 11 All-Star and 11 All-NBA nods.
Also read: When Charles Barkley demanded a trade wanting to join Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in 1996: "I'll sit home and play golf and see if NBC can use me"