Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, once inseparable pals, are now distant. But back in the day, their friendship was rock solid, so much so that they made a pact during their playing careers. Barkley spilled the beans on this during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, recounting a pivotal moment before his trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets in 1996.
Robert Barr, the Rockets' then-vice president of basketball affairs, reached out to Barkley with a pressing question: would he hold out if he didn’t get a new contract after the trade? Barkley was skeptical, telling Barr that a trade wasn’t happening.
The Suns had assured him he was staying put. But two days later, the Rockets were back on the line.
Barkley recalled telling Barr, “Robert, they’re not going to trade me. I’m the only player we got.”
But Barr insisted, pressing Barkley on whether he’d hold out. Barkley’s response was firm: “I’ve never held out.”
He explained that he and Jordan had made a pact because guys like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant were earning more than Jordan on the Bulls, and similar situations were happening with Barkley in Philly and Phoenix. They vowed never to complain or hold out, and Barkley assured Barr, “I have a contract.”
Fast forward five days, and Barkley was packing for Houston.
It’s true that neither Jordan nor Barkley held out for more money. However, Barkley’s point about Pippen and Grant isn’t quite accurate.
There was never a season where they out-earned Jordan on the Bulls. In fact, Jordan was underpaid for much of his Chicago tenure, though he remained the top earner over Pippen, Grant, and Dennis Rodman.
It wasn’t until the twilight of his career that the Bulls truly opened their wallets, paying him $30.1 million in 1996-97 and $33.1 million in 1997-98. Before that contract, he’d only made about $29 million in total.
These two seasons marked the only times Jordan was the league’s highest-paid player, despite his longstanding dominance. According to Spotrac, Jordan’s career earnings reached $93.8 million, a figure that might have barely topped $50 million without those late-career paydays.
Barkley, on the other hand, wrapped up his playing career with $40.6 million in earnings. He never got the blockbuster deal like Jordan, but it didn’t hinder him in the long run. Since joining Inside the NBA as a studio analyst in 2000, Barkley’s media career has flourished.
Yet, this successful media stint strained his relationship with Jordan. In 2012, Barkley criticized Jordan’s management of the Charlotte Bobcats, which didn’t sit well with his old friend.
Jordan called Barkley to express his displeasure, marking their last conversation. Despite Barkley’s attempts to reconcile, Jordan remains uninterested in mending fences.