Natalia Chi
Basketball legends Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, just three days apart, were once best friends but haven’t spoken to each other in years.
Barkley, who is notoriously dogmatic, told 60 Minutes correspondent Jon Wertheim that Jordan had cut ties over comments Barkley made about the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan is the owner of an NBA team that was struggling to win games at the time.
“And what I said is, I don’t think there are enough people around him to say no to him,” Berkley said. not talking.”
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As an analyst for TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” there is no room for double standards for Barkley, who makes a living by sharing candid opinions.
“I’m going to do my job,” he said. “Because if I don’t criticize my best friend, and I criticize others in the same situation, I have zero credibility.”
Jordan’s greatness doesn’t give him “the right to be stupid,” Barkley continued.
Barkley said the ball is in Jordan’s court if their relationship is to be mended.
“He had my phone number,” Berkley told Wertheim.
Jordan wasn’t the only one targeted by Barkley.On the 60 nights of the year “Inside the NBA,” Barkley from the Milwaukee Bucks lebron james, no out-of-scope topics.After the Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant suspended By flashing a gun on an Instagram live video, Berkley used the opportunity to address gun violence.
Barkley’s tendency to share exactly what’s on his mind began when he was still a young NBA player. Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984, this Alabama-native boy didn’t take long to become famous not only for his ferocious rebounding, but also for his quarterability.
His friends say it’s a trait he inherited from his grandmother, who helped raise Berkeley with his mother.
“He had a mouth like grandma’s,” agreed one of Berkley’s friends who visited his hometown of Leeds, Alabama.
But one of Berkley’s most infamous moments happened in court not because of controversial opinions. In 1991, while playing for his 76ers in New Jersey, he spit on a heckler and accidentally hit a young girl. He calls it the low point of his career.
“Of course I got suspended,” Barkley said. “I was sitting in my hotel room thinking, ‘You’re the biggest loser in the world.'”
he described it as a turning point. Barkley said anger at his father, who left his family when Barkley was a year old, and at Spanish teacher Ms. Gomez, who frustrated him, fueled his playing. class.
“I’m good at basketball and I love playing it, so I’ll just play basketball,” Barkley vowed after the incident.
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Shortly thereafter, Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns and was named MVP in 1993.
and a few months later retirement In 2000, he embarked on a broadcasting career that provided candid and provocative commentary and earned more than ever as a player.
Berkley, now 60, is dedicated to his legacy. His daughter Christiana had his recently born son Henry. Berkeley said he has never been happier. His proud grandpa, he released a video of Henry laughing to show the 60 Minutes team.
“It’s definitely the best thing that has ever happened in my life,” Berkley said.
The experience with his grandchildren has lived up to the hype, and Berkley said he’s focused on spending as much time with Henry as possible.
“Then when he grows up, I want him to Google me. I hope he does my research,” Berkley said. “I’m gone a long time ago, but I want him to know that I’ve accomplished something in his life.”
