sport news Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley: From best friends to strangers trends now
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley are two of the biggest names in contemporary basketball, and in truth it has been this way for decades.
The powerful pair have been pillars in the sports world for efforts on and, in Barkley's case mostly, also off the floor.
Once best friends, their relationship deteriorated from a brotherly bond to estrangement in just one phone call, a decade ago.
Barkley has spoken about the dissolvement of his relationship with the six-time NBA Champion regularly throughout the years, though there has been no resolution then, or now.
The Chuckster recently spoke about Jordan in sit-down interviews this month to various outlets.
Given the fascination with two of the NBA's most powerful players and personalities, Dailymail.com takes a look at how Barkley and Jordan got here - and whether it can ever be repaired.
Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan -- pictured in 1996 -- were once closely-bonded friends
Barkley and Jordan have not spoken for 'probably, close to a decade' per the NBA broadcaster
Why now?
The one-sided beef between Jordan and Barkley is nothing new. Though, the Round Mound of Rebound was asked about His Airness during an interview last Sunday on 60 Minutes.
Barkley explained the final conversation he had with Jordan, which has been repeated by Barkley often throughout the years.
'Michael disagreed with something I said, and he broke off the friendship. And what I said, I think that he don't have enough people around him that are gonna tell him, 'No.'
'And he got really offended, and we haven't spoken. But I'm gonna do my job, because I have zero credibility if I criticize other people in the same boat and not criticize my best friend.
When asked if he would ever swallow his pride and look to be the man to mend their once close relationship, Barkley replied; 'I got an ego too, Jon,' he said, speaking to 60 Minutes' Jon Wertheim.
'You can't be great at something... that doesn't give you the right to be a jerk. He got my number.'
Charles Barkley said he won't be picking up the phone to mend his relationship with Jordan
What happened?
Jordan and Barkley were still friends in the early 2010s with the latter professing his love for the Bulls great in various interviews.
Though it appears a 2012 ESPN radio interview was the undoing of their relationship. Barkley has never specified which interview, nor when exactly Jordan called, but he speculated on "All The Smoke it is now 'probably close to 10 years ago.'
'He was my best friend at the time,' Barkley told Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes last month. 'And I love the guy and miss the guy, but, you know, I gotta do my job.'
'I said, "I don’t know if he’s ever going to be successful because of the people around him. I think he hires too many of his friends."
'He was struggling as a general manager, running the team, and I said, "I don’t know if he’s ever going to be successful ’cause the people around him are never gonna tell him "no."
“He went ballistic - he called me, and that’s the last thing I heard was "motherf*****r, f*** you! You supposed to be my boy." And I said, "man, I gotta do my job." And we haven’t spoken since that night, and that was probably close to ten years ago.'
Barkley is known for his outspoken opinions, and kept the same energy for his now ex-friend
Michael Jordan's Charlotte franchise have struggled for NBA relevancy since his involvement
The interview
The interview Barkley is seemingly referring to took place on March 1, 2012. At that point, the franchise had a 4-29 record, and lost 19 of its previous 20 games.
'I think the biggest problem has been I don't know if he has hired enough people around him who he will listen to,' Barkley told ESPN 1000's The Waddle & Silvy Show.
'I love Michael, but he just has not done a good job,' Chuck continued. 'Even though he is one of my great friends, I can't get on here and tell you he's done a great job. He has not done a great
