Charles Barkley seems increasingly willing to talk about Michael Jordan, but that hasn’t served as an icebreaker for their decade-old feud.
In 2012, Barkley criticized Jordan’s ownership tenure, claiming the six-time NBA champion surrounds himself with too many yes-men. The analysis effectively ended their friendship after Jordan took Barkley’s criticism personally.
During a recent appearance on 60 Minutes, Barkley claimed there was no resolution in sight, saying “he got my number,” seemingly leaving it up to Jordan to break their long-running feud. Friday morning, Barkley joined The Dan Patrick Show and said he still hasn’t head from Jordan.
“No,” Barkley said with a laugh after Patrick asked if he heard from Jordan after his 60 Minutes appearance. “You know what’s funny? I’ve never had more people ask me about two dudes, they act like we’re Prince William and Prince Harry. I love Michael like a brother. He’s doing great, I’m doing great. He got mad at me, it’s no big deal. It’s unfortunate, but I wish him nothing but the best.”
Barkley and Jordan are two of the most recognizable figures in the NBA, which is why their feud is covered like Prince William and Prince Harry. And as long as Barkley is willing to keep offering quotes about Jordan, the media will keep asking him for updates and comments.
Barkley may have claimed “it’s no big deal” on The Dan Patrick Show, but speaking to Tom Brady last year, the Basketball Hall-of-Famer and NBA analyst referred to his feud with Jordan as the biggest fallout of his media career. That sounds like a pretty big deal. Still, Barkley has no regrets about criticizing Jordan the NBA owner.
“One of the reasons I hate reporters, guys like Skip Bayless and people like that, you can tell the guys they like and dislike,” Barkley told Patrick. “That ain’t right. You should be fair. Just because me and Michael are great friends, I’m not gonna give him a hall pass.”
More than ten years after criticizing Jordan’s management style, Barkley has been proven right. Jordan’s ownership tenure with the Charlotte Hornets franchise proved to be a great business investment, but in terms of overseeing a successful product on the court, it was an abject failure with just two playoff appearances in 12 years.
