dailyloe.com – Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan have taken a major step toward mending their friendship after a 14-year spat. The former NBA stars and close friends fell out over Barkley’s public criticism of Jordan’s management role. They have now started talking again and plan to play golf together after the NBA season ends. This development follows years of estrangement between the two basketball legends.
The problems began in 2012 when Barkley criticized Jordan’s tenure. Jordan was then the owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Hornets. Barkley made his comments on ESPN Chicago’s Waddle & Silvy show. He questioned whether Jordan had hired enough people who would disagree with him.
“One thing about being famous is the people around you, you pay all their bills,” Barkley said in 2012. “So they very rarely disagree with you because they want you to pick up the check.” Barkley added at the time, “I love Michael, but he has not done a good job.” Jordan did not appreciate those comments. Their relationship had not recovered by 2020.
Barkley expressed sadness about the rift six years ago. “The guy was like a brother to me for, shoot, 20-something years,” Barkley said in 2020. “And I do… I feel sadness. But to me, he’s still the greatest basketball player ever.” He also said, “I wish him nothing but the best. But there’s nothing I can do about it, brother.” The situation remained unchanged until recently.
Speaking on Chris Russo’s Mad Dog Unleashed on SiriusXM on Friday, Barkley revealed a breakthrough. He said the two have started talking again. They will hit the links after the NBA season is over. “We had a conversation,” Barkley said. “We’re going to get together and play golf as soon as basketball is over.”
Host Chris Russo reacted to the news. “Charles, that’s a big story because he was mad at you!” Russo said. Barkley downplayed the severity of their issues. “We’re not like Prince William and Prince Harry,” Barkley said. He emphasized their longstanding mutual affection. “We always had a lot of love for each other,” he added.
Barkley provided a timeline for their recent contact. “We talked, actually, in the last probably 72 hours,” he said. They decided to get together and play golf soon. This reconnection comes as both remain involved in basketball. Barkley is an analyst on “Inside the NBA” on ESPN.
Michael Jordan is a minority owner with the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets’ season ended Friday night in a play-in loss. They lost to the Orlando Magic. Barkley and Jordan were teammates on the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics. They were also two of the biggest NBA stars in the 1990s. Their shared love of golf was a cornerstone of their friendship.[]
Source: AOL.com
