Charles Barkley rues telling MJ he would never be a great GM: 'I regret losing one of my best friends'

Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan were some of the biggest stars in the NBA during the 1980s and 1990s, as both entered the league together via the 1984 NBA Draft. MJ was the Chicago Bulls' third pick that year, while Chuck got selected two picks later by the Philadelphia 76ers at No.5 overall.

They ended up playing 55 games against each other, including a showdown in the 1993 NBA Finals. However, despite being rivals on the basketball court, Barkley and Jordan were the best friends outside it.

After retirement, the two remained close until 2012, when Charles, who had already begun working in media, criticized Michael, who was then GM and owner of the Charlotte Bobcats franchise.

"When I said that he was never going to be successful as a general manager because he had too many kiss as***s around him," said Barkley during an appearance on "The Mark Jackson Show." "I think that's probably the thing that hurts me the most because this guy was arguably my best friend, and when I said that, he called me and cursed me out, and we haven't spoken since that night."

Close bond

Chuck and MJ were as close as Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas, minus the kissing. They played on the 1992 Dream Team and won Olympic gold together. One year later, they faced each other in the 1993 NBA Finals, and there were rumors that they even played golf during the series, although Barkley denied that story.

However, after Charles told ESPN in 2012 that Michael wasn't doing a good job in Charlotte and needed to surround himself with better people, Jordan took offense and essentially ended their friendship with one phone call. MJ gave Chuck the cold shoulder, but Barkley insisted he merely called a spade a spade.

"But what I said was true. That's probably the only thing I don't regret saying it. I regret losing one of my best friends. It's really unfortunate, but he's headstrong. I love the guy. I wish him nothing but the best," he claims.

Chuck was telling the truth

Jordan acquired the Charlotte NBA franchise for a mere $275 million in 2010. But the organization only got worse instead of turning it around and making it as successful as his Chicago Bulls teams.

In MJ's 13-year tenure as team owner, Charlotte posted a 423-600 record, which ranked 5th worst among NBA teams during that span. The squad only made three playoff appearances under Michael, all of which ended in first-round exits. Last year, Jordan sold his majority share of the Hornets to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall for a reported $3 billion.

Meanwhile, many people have been wanting Chuck and Mike to make up. Mark Jackson was the latest to say that during his podcast, but as Barkley said, Jordan is a strong-willed individual. Charles, too, has an ego just as significant as Michael's, so unless one yields, this one's likely ending in a stalemate.