Jordan didn’t exactly like Barkley calling him out

[Big Bid'Ness]

Fromrobasketballtalk

Charles Barkley is a lot of things, but one of them is forthright. He’s going to tell you what he thinks. No matter who you are or what you think of him.

Barkley and Michael Jordan are tight, but that didn’t stop Barkley from saying Jordan was bad at running a team. Which evidence points to being true, whether you talk Wizards or Bobcats.
Barkley called Jordan on it on national television, then Jordan called Barkley on his cell phone. I’ll let

you take a guess as to how the uber-competitive Jordan takes to being called out. Barkley was on ESPN Chicago Radio with Waddle and Silvy and described how that conversation went (via Sports Radio Interviews).

“I thought my name was S.O.B and M.F., like damn, I couldn’t even say anything. I said, ‘Dude I can’t get on the radio and tell people you been doin’ a good job.’”
“He’s relying on our friendship and I said, ‘Dude, I love you, you one of my best friends, period. You been there for me, I been there for you but.’ I think he got mad; he surrounded himself with people. One of the really difficult things about being famous, all your friends, you’re paying all the bills, they’re flying around on your private jet, very few of your friends are ever gonna disagree with you. And I think that’s the thing he got most mad about, ’cause I mean his record speaks for itself and I wanna see Michael do well, but I think that was actually an example when he thinks you’re supposed to be with him no matter what. But dude, you gotta get better people to wear on you if you’re gonna be successful. … You gotta have friends around you who [are] not afraid to say, ‘Oh that guy can’t play.’ And we’re cool now.”​

Barkley’s description fits with other reports. The Bobcats scouting staff would spend a year watching and looking at film of players, then Jordan would come into meetings after the NCAA tournament and say “I want this guy, he’s a winner.” And nobody would say anything because he was Michael Jordan. And you see what they built.

With Rich Cho in as general manager there seems to be a direction. And that direction has to be up because they couldn’t be worse, but give Cho a few years and a few drafts and you’ll start to see a team the people of Charlotte will want to go see.

Even Charles Barkley. From Jordan’s box.