Charles Barkley Feels 'Sadness' Over Michael Jordan Rift

Barkley said his friendship with Jordan has deteriorated due to comments regarding Jordan's ownership of the Charlotte Hornets.

Charles Barkley said on Wednesday he is "really sad," about the state of his relationship with Michael Jordan.

Barkley and Jordan were close friends throughout the 1990s–as has been documented on 'The Last Dance'–but their relationship has apparently fractured over Barkley's comments on Jordan's ownership of the Charlotte Hornets. 

"The guy was like a brother to me for, shoot, 20-something years," Barkley said on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. "At least 20-something years. And I do, I feel sadness. But to me he's still the greatest basketball player ever. I wish him nothing but the best. But, there's nothing I can do about it, brother."

Barkley criticized Jordan's ownership of the Hornets (formerly the Bobcats) in March 2012.

"I think the biggest problem has been I don't know if he has hired enough people around him who he will listen to," Barkley said. "I love Michael, but he just has not done a good job."

Barkley and Jordan won the gold medal together at the 1992 Olympics, and they squared off in the 1993 Finals. And while it appears as though their relationship will never return to what it was in the 1990s, Barkley said he is willing to chat with Jordan to repair their relationship.

"He got my number," Barkley said. "He can call me."