Former NBA Star Charles Barkley Shares Update on Relationship With Michael Jordan
There has been a long, ongoing feud between former NBA stars Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. During their active playing days in the league, they were close, and people saw their dynamic off the court. While Barkley and Jordan were on-court rivals, they were fond of each other and would often spend time together outside of basketball.
However, things changed when Barkley shared his opinion on how Jordan ran things as the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets (then Bobcats). The two have not spoken to each other since then, and people have watched closely to see what will happen to their relationship.
Charles Barkley's Positive Update on His Relationship With Michael Jordan
Barkley appeared on "Mad Dog Unleashed" and told Chris "Mad Dog" Russo that he and Jordan would spend time after the NBA season.
"We had a conversation," Chuck said. "We're gonna get together and play golf as soon as basketball is over."
"We're not like Prince William and Prince Harry. We always have a lot of love for each other. But we talked in the last 72 hours, we just decided to get together and play golf as soon as basketball is over."
"We're not like Prince William and Prince Harry."
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) April 17, 2026
The long feud is over. Charles Barkley tells @MadDogUnleashed that him and Michael Jordan are speaking again and they are playing golf when the NBA season ends. pic.twitter.com/YnAxcM5CYl
The conflict between Jordan and Barkley began in 2012 when the former expressed disapproval of MJ's management style as a team owner in an episode of TNT's "Inside the NBA." In an interview with Bleacher Report in 2022, the former Philadelphia 76ers star explained what he said about the six-time champion.
"I said, ‘I don't think he's gonna have enough people around him that are gonna tell him no,'" he said. "And he got really offended, and we haven't spoken since... I have zero credibility if I criticize other people in the same boat and not criticize my best friend."
Barkley said in his 2023 appearance on the show "All the Smoke" that the last time he heard from Jordan was in 2012, right after he criticized his performance as a team owner. Former NBA player Matt Barnes asked the star player if there was a chance for their relationship to be fixed.
However, the current ESPN analyst said that the state of their relationship is not up to him. Barkley said that the ball is in MJ's hands and that he has to be the one who makes the call.
Their feud has lasted more than 10 years, and Barkley's recent update is a major step toward reuniting the former Team USA Dream Team co-stars.
Related: Charles Barkley Blasts NBA Players Sitting Out: 'You're Being Disrespectful to the Game'
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 9:58 PM.