Charles Barkley Quickly Regretted Mocking Michael Jordan In 1993 NBA Finals

Shandel Richardson | Jul 13, 2024

Nov 22, 1993; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NBA superstars Michael Jordan (left) and Charles Barkley during the filming of a Nike shoe commercial at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK / The Arizona Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK

The rivalry between Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley is among the greatest in sports history.

The best part was they fiercely competed against each other while being the best of friends during their playing days. That bond has since faded in their retired years but it's always nice to look back at the on-court feud.

There was no better example than after Game 3 of the NBA Finals when Barkley's Phoenix Suns defeated Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 129-121 in triple overtime. The Suns pulled to within 2-1 in the best-of-7 series.

It was one of the worst postseason games of Jordan's career. He finished with 44 points but shot 19 of 43 from the field. Barkley hilariously chimed in the poor shooting performance in the post-game interview.

Barkley said, "Man! Michael Jordan shot the ball 43 times! Damn, that's unbelievable,. He's going to be icing his elbow, too!"

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The comment appeared to motivate Jordan. In Game 4, he responded with 55 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 21 of 37 shooting in the Bulls' 111-105 victory to take control of the series.

The Suns did win Game 5 in Chicago but the Bulls closed it out in Game 6 in Phoenix on John Paxson's 3-pointer in the closing seconds. It capped the first of Jordan's two three-peats, adding more to his impressive legacy.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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