Sir Charles Barkley has always been known, criticized and applauded for his honesty. And the NBA Hall of Famer usually has a hot take on anything from social justice to Black cuture, politics, business and of course sports.
After appearing on “Back on the Record” with Bob Costas and being asked if he’s still friends with Michael Jordan, Barkley said:
“We’re not. And I take some responsibility for that. I criticized [him]–he was one of my best friends, and I definitely love him and miss him, to be honest with you, but I, Bob, I have to do my job. I said, at the time, and we can debate whether I should have said it, but I was asked a question, and I’m told always be honest at my job. I said, ‘I don’t know if Michael’s ever going to be successful [running the Charlotte Hornets] because I don’t know if he got enough strong people around him.’”
Here’s another clip where “The Round Mound of Rebound” discusses the legacies of MJ and LeBron and ranks Air Highness over The King.
Michael Jordan is known to hold a grudge. It’s what drove him to become the greatest show on hardwood that we’ve ever seen. I mean, the dude was still throwing shots at his Hall of Fame induction.
Barkley’s scathing criticism of Jordan’s executive decision-making might have been a nail in the coffin for what was once a lucrative friendship for both.
But at least he was being honest. That’s a trait that people increasingly lack these days.
