Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan were once the closest of friends. From golf outings to late-night phone calls, they built a bond off the court that fans admired. But Barkley’s nature of speaking his mind ended up changing things between the two after he criticized Jordan’s management style, claiming he surrounded himself with yes-men. That didn’t sit well with MJ, who fired back during a heated phone call that ended their friendship. Barkley recalled Jordan saying, “You’re supposed to be my boy.” Since then it’s been over ten years, and they haven’t spoken. Isn’t it crazy how fast a brotherhood can unravel?

Barkley has never denied his pain over the split. In fact, he admitted that losing Jordan as a friend still hurts deeply. On The Mark Jackson Show, he said the breakup of their friendship remains one of his biggest regrets. But despite that, he stands by what he said. He believes he was just doing his job and being honest. “I don’t regret saying it,” he shared, “I regret losing one of my best friends.” Barkley’s honesty may be brutal, but it’s also real. Can you blame someone for staying true to themselves, even if it costs them a friendship?

Charles Barkley recently made an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. Interestingly, Barkley shared his confidence about no one being able to guard him in a one-on-one standoff. This led the host to wonder about his thoughts on Michael Jordan guarding him. And when one would think that Barkley would take a humble approach to the answer, he appeared to be rather decisive in his answer. Barkley chuckled and said, “He’s too little… He can’t guard me in the post.” According to him, no single player could ever stop him, no matter how great. Barkley joked that he used to call Jordan “little man” during games, just to get in his head.

He recalled, “‘I’ve said it to him a thousand times. Too little, man. ‘Hey little man, you at the wrong place.’ Hey, I say, ‘Little man, you at the wrong place at the wrong time.'” Now that is a heavy claim to make, after all, it’s Jordan he is talking about. But it didn’t end there. Even after the host pointed out that Jordan is actually taller than he (by around 2 inches according to the reports), Barkley still held to his claims, “He too little, though”. When pointed out that Jordan could jump, he simply stated, “Yeah, he gonna fly, ’cause I’m going to hit his a**.”

But when the question arose, if he could guard Jordan, Barkley admitted he couldn’t guard Jordan either. Not even close. When they switched on defense, Barkley said Jordan would just laugh. Literally. “He looked at me and said, ‘Are you serious right now?’” Barkley even remembered how Jordan laughed so hard he passed the ball instead of attacking. As the feud between the two has yet to subside, Barkley’s remarks could very well stir some trouble.

Why Charles Barkley thinks Michael Jordan was underappreciated

Even though Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan haven’t spoken in years, the respect between them is still undeniable. Barkley’s sharp tongue may have ended their friendship, but his admiration for Jordan has never wavered. In fact, Barkley believes the world never truly gave “His Airness” the credit he deserved. “As great as Michael Jordan was, he was underappreciated because he was able to be Michael Jordan every single night for thirteen years,” he said, pointing to how Jordan made the impossible look routine. Fans became so used to his dominance that they forgot how hard it really was.

Jordan delivered consistent greatness, so much so that people started to overlook his skills, taking it as the norm. “Only the stars can do that. It’s like being on Broadway; you don’t pay $100 a seat to see the understudy or the costars. You go to see the stars,” Barkley explained, comparing him to a Broadway lead who never missed a performance. There was no room for off nights.

Every game, every moment, Jordan was expected to rise to the occasion. According to Barkley, that constant pressure is what separates the good from the truly great. Most fans saw the highlights. What they missed was the toll it took to maintain that level of excellence.

Barkley also pointed out how role players can only shine when a superstar is leading the way. Malik Rose, for instance, thrived next to Tim Duncan, but without a star, players like him are just filling space. Jordan, on the other hand, wasn’t just filling a role—he was carrying a franchise, a brand, and the entire league.

While their friendship may be lost, Barkley’s words are a reminder: Michael Jordan didn’t just dominate basketball, he made it global, shouldered its weight, and made it look effortless.