Some NBA friendships survive through everything, even after retirement and a wild playoff rivalry. But when man’s ego meets absolute brutality, then even the best friends don’t think twice about breaking apart their connection. A similar thing happened between Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, whose brotherhood that spanned decades was shattered over one TV segment.
The Round Mound of Rebound recently opened up about the exact moment Jordan shut down the shutter for Barkley. Barkley did his job as an analyst and called out MJ’s front-office failures on television. That same night, the GOAT picked up the phone and torched their friendship for good.
Charles Barkley Recalls Michael Jordan’s Furious Reaction That Shattered Their Friendship
The Bobcats were a disaster for year after year and Jordan’s draft picks failed to pan out. Barkley, as a professional analyst, didn’t sugarcoat it, said what everyone already knew — MJ wasn’t cutting it in the front office.
Hours later, when Jordan called Barkley, he didn’t want to talk things out. According to Barkoley, he wanted blood.
“He called me that night and went ballistic on me,” Barkley said on The Tom Tolbert Show. “He said ‘you supposed to be my best friend and you’re going to do that bullsh*t?’ I told him I have to do my job and you haven’t been a good GM. He cursed me out up and down and we have not spoken since that night.”
Charles Barkley says his friendship with Michael Jordan ended when he called him out for being a bad GM on TV 😳
“He called me that night and went ballistic on me. He said ‘you supposed to be my best friend and you’re going to do that bullsh*t?’ I told him I have to do my job… pic.twitter.com/TeDgwYAqTL
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) December 21, 2025
Barkley also didn’t let the blame lean towards him entirely. He told Jordan directly that he needed people around him who would challenge him — not yes-men or staffers just cashing checks, but advisors willing to say when he was wrong.
“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 said in 2012. “Nobody wants to disagree with you. You are such a powerful personality, especially your flunkies, as I call them, the flunkies are never going to disagree with you.”
But Barkley was right about everything he said about the team. Jordan drafted Adam Morrison fourth overall in 2006, passing on Brandon Roy, Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, Rudy Gay, and JJ Redick.
Morrison couldn’t survive in the league for more than four years. Meanwhile, the players Jordan passed on went on to become All-Stars or steady contributors for more than a decade.
Barkley even said he warned Jordan directly about Morrison. “I said, ‘Michael, I think you should take Brandon Roy, and he said, ‘We like Adam Morrison.’ I said, ‘Adam Morrison can’t play.'”
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Jordan ignored him. The Bobcats tanked. And when Barkley said it publicly, their friendship died.
As of December 3035, both are above 60, but they are still stubborn as hell. Barkley’s made it clear he won’t be the one to call first. Jordan might also be waiting to get a call from Barkley.
