Yahoo News Charles Barkley Is Tired of Discussing Michael Jordan Split 'Like We Prince William and Prince Harry'
The TNT analyst and retired NBA star frequently talks about what led to the end of his friendship with Jordan
Charles Barkley is frequently asked about the demise of his friendship with Michael Jordan, and he is royally ready to move on.
“Yes! A hundred percent. A hundred percent!” the TNT analyst, 60, said on SI Media With Jimmy Traina about his dislike regarding the buzz surrounding the end of the relationship with the NBA legend. “Because you know what, Jimmy, they act like we Prince William and Prince Harry.”
Yet Barkley wishes his once-best friend and golfing buddy “nothing but the best.”
“Like I said, Michael got mad about something,” he shared, referring to a well-documented argument Barkley and Jordan had regarding the latter’s management of the Charlotte Hornets. “I said we haven’t spoken and now two times a year I have to defend. … I’m like, ‘Yo, man, Michael’s doing great, Charles is doing great.’ I wish him nothing but the best.”
He added, “But, like, dude, we’re not like Prince Harry and Prince William. We’re not taking shots and by backdoor channels all the time, Michael’s doing great, and I’m doing great.”
In fact, after the dust-up more than a decade ago, the NBA Hall of Famers have rarely crossed paths, Barkley shared, and have “only been in the same room like three times in the last 25 years.”
“We were in New York at the same hotel for something one time, and then at the Hall of Fame one year he had to introduce somebody onstage, and I had to introduce somebody onstage,” Barkley said. “And I think the third time was at that 75th anniversary thing, and we never got within 25 feet of each other.”
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He added, “But we don’t go to a lot of NBA functions, and I don’t go to NBA games for the simple reason, I had my day. I don’t want to take away from today’s players.”
While on Let's Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray last fall, the retired athlete spoke out about his and Jordan's "stubborn" personalities.
Related: Charles Barkley Says He Hasn't Spoken to Michael Jordan in 'Almost 10 Years': 'We're Both Stubborn'
"Michael Jordan, losing his friendship was probably the most prominent thing that's happened to me," he said. "But I was being honest about what I thought. I said, 'Listen, the toughest thing about Michael, he's got to put better people around him.' Because the toughest thing, when you're famous, they're on your private jet, you're buying all the drinks, you're buying all the dinners. Very few people are gonna be honest with you. And I try to surround myself with people like, hey, if I'm screwing up, please tell me."
He added, "And Michael got offended about something I said about him. And we haven't spoken in probably almost 10 years. And he was my best friend at the time. And I love the dude like a brother and we're both stubborn and we haven't talked."
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