Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan used to be best buddies in the NBA world. Unfortunately, in the early 2010s, their friendship came crashing down because of Barkley’s public comments. Since then, the duo hasn’t returned to their friendship. However, the Phoenix Suns legend continued to speak about MJ in the media because of his analyst role. Especially, the 60-year-old defended the Chicago Bulls legend in the ever-lasting ‘Greatest-ever’ debate against LeBron James and Kobe Bryant with a new analogy.

Usually, fans defend their idols in the GOAT debate with stats and figures. Notably, championship rings, average, most points scored, playoff record, and many more. Even after all these years of comparison, fans haven’t been able to come to a conclusion. Nevertheless, Chuckster came up with an interesting analogy that has to do with college.

Chuck’s new analogy in the Michael Jordan – James – Bryant GOAT debate

It is impossible for a neutral fan to pick anyone as the ‘Greatest-ever’ of the three superstars. Importantly, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant‘s iconic gameplays made them relevant even years after their retirement. On the other hand, LeBron James‘ numbers, even after spending close to 20 years in the league, speaks to his longevity. While the debate had no way of proceeding further, Charles Barkley opened up a door for a new analogy in a recent interview.

Featuring in the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Barkley spoke about the career span of the players from 80s and 90s era. Simmons brought out the example of Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas and his early retirement in 31. He highlighted the aggressive nature of the game in that era and said, “A 13-year career for a point guard was a lot.” Impressed by Simmons’ take, Chuck further stressed the fact that current players can skip colleges early to join the league. He also pointed out, “Michael Jordan stayed in college for three years.”

Whereas in Kobe and LeBron’s case, he left it early to join the league. Chuck argued that these players had upper hand compared to MJ in the longevity aspect.

Read More – “That Was My Bestfriend, I Love the Guy and Miss the Guy”: Charles Barkley Finally Offers a White Flag to Michael Jordan

Even after not having a good relationship with MJ, Chuck continued to support his old buddy.

What happened between MJ and Chuck?

After MJ invested in the Charlotte Hornets, the team’s performance had been underwhelming. There were a lot of criticisms about the team in the NBA world. However, Jordan couldn’t accept the fact that his buddy Chuck criticized his managerial skills on live TV. While Barkley felt that he just did his job, MJ still didn’t consider his friendship.

A disagreement that started because of a neutral comment made from an unbiased point of view has led to one of the most notable fallouts in NBA history. Barkley and Jordan, both members of the 1992 Dream Team, and both Hall of Fame members, have not been speaking since.

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Will Chuck and MJ become friends again? Let us know in the comments below.