Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen On Charles Barkley's List Of Cheap Spenders

Zachary Draves | Aug 27, 2024

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley during the 1993 NBA Finals in Chicago. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Charles Barkley says Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are tight when it comes to money.

During an interview with late night host Conan O'Brien, Barkley let in on how he is different from his Dream Team teammates.

"There is nobody cheaper than Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan," Barkley said.

After O'Brien asked how cheap was Jordan, Barkley provided a brief anecdote.

"He's cheap," he said. "We're talking super cheap. I always give homeless people money and he'd always slap my hand. He'd always say, `If they can ask you for spare change, they can say welcome to McDonald's can I help you?".

It seems Barkley isn't the least bit shy of spilling the tea on these two players who he shares a history with.

Barkley and Jordan were once the best of friends. Barkley often referred to Jordan as "Black Jesus" when they golfed together.

In a 2023 interview with 60 Minutes, Barkley said he and Jordan haven't spoken in years. Apparently, it stems from Barkley criticizing Jordan in the way he approached ownership with the Charlotte Bobcats.

"I said, 'I don't think he's gonna have enough people around him that are gonna tell him no,'" Barkley said. "And he got really offended, and we haven't spoken."

Barkley and Pippen were teammates on the Houston Rockets in 1999. They are locked in a longstanding beef dating to when Pippen wanted out of the Rockets after the one season.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Back In the Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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