The rift between Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and his former best friend, Charles Barkley , is well known. The root of the conflict was his criticism of Jordan's tenure as the owner of the Charlotte Hornets , which the latter didn't take too kindly to.
As a result, the two basketball icons haven't spoken a single word to one another since 2012; an unfortunate development, considering how close they were since entering the NBA in the famed 1984 draft class and battling in the 1993 NBA Finals.
Although Jordan has kept mum about the issue and has, by and large, remained out of the public eye since his third and final retirement from the NBA, Barkley shed more light on the late-night conversation the two had that eventually led to their friendship dissolving.
Being the most competitive athlete in the history of the NBA came as a blessing and a curse for Jordan. For one, he could immediately summon the energy and motivation necessary to vanquish his opponents. However, this same drive and intensity also spilled over into his personal relationships, as Jordan would often take any perceived slight or insult to heart.
In the case of Barkley, their friendship fell apart when he criticized Jordan for the way he was leading the team, then known as the Bobcats, during an episode of "Inside The NBA." On that very same night, Barkley received the last phone call from Jordan.
"I said what I said about Michael. I said, 'Michael, I don't think you're ever going to be successful in that role. The people around you aren't good talent evaluators, and you need better people around you,'" Barkley said on the "Tom Tolbert Show. "He hasn't been successful as a GM, and that's just the truth. And first of all, I was just out here spewing facts. That's all it was."
The last thing any NBA athlete wanted was to get on Jordan's bad side on the hardwood. Apparently, the same could be said for off-the-court things.
When the Bulls legend caught wind of Barkley's comments, he was fuming. He immediately called up his friend and let him have it.
"I remember he called me that night. He went ballistic on me, telling me, 'Hey, you're supposed to be my best friend, and you're going to say that BS about me? Blah, blah, blah." He was furious," Charles recalled.
Barkley tried to defend himself, explaining that as a respected member of the media, it was his job to call a spade a spade. And if he wanted to continue becoming successful in that field, he would have to be critical of his friends at times.
But Jordan wasn't having it. He felt betrayed and disrespected by Barkley's words.
"I told him, 'Man, I have to do my job. You haven't done a good job as a general manager, and it's my job to be honest," Barkley continued. "How can I criticize other people and then give you a pass? When other guys make bad draft picks, I call them on it too."
"He cursed me up and down, and we haven't spoken since that night. It was difficult for me because he was really like my best friend at the time, but I wasn't going to stop being honest just because it was Michael," the Hall of Famer concluded.
To be fair, Barkley did speak the truth. In the 13 years that Jordan owned the Charlotte franchise, the team has made the postseason only twice, losing in the first round both times.
Jordan eventually ended his run as owner when he sold his majority stake for approximately $3 billion.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
