Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan spent plenty of time on the golf course back in the day. At that time, they were still on the same page. So, how much did they actually bet per hole?
Barkley made around $40 million in total NBA salary. Jordan pulled in close to $95 million . With that kind of gap, it's safe to say the two legends played for very different stakes.
But how different, exactly?
Barkley revealed the answer on "The Dan Patrick Show" in March 2017.
Barkley has been a guest on Patrick's show a few times, and more than once, wild stories have surfaced from those appearances. This was certainly one of them.
It started with the 11-time All-Star taking listeners to the golf course — the same one where he and His Airness often played with "certain people." With those guys, Barkley said , he'd usually play for a few hundred dollars a hole — nothing big, as he put it.
What was big, though, were Jordan's bets. According to Barkley, the Chicago Bulls legend would play "some guy for like $100,000."
When Barkley's swing was in rhythm, he'd get a couple of strokes. Jordan shot around four. The matches stayed tight — but those side bets?
"It was crazy, man," Barkley recalled, still shaking his head at how uneven it all felt.
For the rest of us mere mortals, it sounds almost unreal. And when even Barkley shakes his head at it, you know it had to be something else.
Still, when you look at it in context, it starts to make a little more sense.
Even long after retiring in April 2003, Jordan stayed as competitive as they come. Whether there was money on the line or not, he wanted to win at everything. But when there was money involved — and real money at that, not just pocket change — it only sharpened his famous edge.
And of course, Jordan could afford it. His total NBA earnings were massive, and his net worth today sits around $3.6 billion . So if anyone could drop six figures on golf bets without blinking, it was His Airness.
Just imagine, when you do the math, how often he could play on the course with hole wagers like that. Barkley didn't have to imagine it. He watched it happen and made the same point himself.
"Let's be real," remarked the legendary power forward. "He's got so much money, a couple hundred thousand dollars ain't a lot to him."
Still, even if it wasn't a big deal to Jordan, Barkley said he knew when to step aside once things got serious.
"He's like, 'Charles, pick that up.' I'm like, 'This putt is for $200.' He's like, 'Pick that up, Charles, get out of my way, you're in my line!' I'm like, 'How much is that putt for?' He's like, '$300,000,'" Barkley recalled Jordan saying.
The Phoenix Suns legend didn't need to be told twice. He said he quickly got out of the way.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
