NBA icons Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley avoided speaking to each other for nearly a decade and a half. But a former New York Mets star was the one who brokered a peace deal between them.
In an appearance on ESPN Chicago’s ‘Waddle & Silvy’ radio show, Barkley admitted that two-time All-Star and former National League Rookie of the Year Vince Coleman was the one who helped mend the relationship between the two Basketball Hall of Famers.
Barkley previously appeared on the show in 2012 to criticize Jordan’s ownership of the Charlotte Hornets – which led to the silent treatment.
‘It’s interesting,’ Barkley said on the show Wednesday. ‘I was just chillin’ at the house last week, and one of my good friends is Vince Coleman, the great baseball player.
‘When we answer the phone, we (jokingly) say some unkind words to each other … he says, “Yo, I’m down here at The Grove. I’m sick of you and MJ’s BS. He’s right here. Y’all need to talk.” And we had a conversation, but Vince Coleman’s the person who’s responsible.
‘We [Barkley and Jordan] talked for a couple minutes. He said, “Man, let’s get together and play golf. And as soon as I get a break, we’re gonna fly down there and spend a couple days playing golf.”‘
Michael Jordan (L) and Charles Barkley (R) appear to have thawed their frosty relationship
Back in 2012, Barkley made comments critical of Jordan’s ownership of the Charlotte Hornets which led to the two friends and Basketball Hall of Famers not speaking for years
But the pair spoke again thanks to some help from former MLB star Vince Coleman
Barkley’s comments from 2012 that led to the feud were critical of Jordan’s inability to hire ‘enough people around him who he will listen to’ at the Hornets.
‘One thing about being famous is the people around you, you pay all their bills, so they very rarely disagree with you because they want you to pick up the check,’ Barkley said in March 2012.
He added, ‘I love Michael, but he just has not done a good job. Even though he is one of my great friends, I can’t get on here and tell you he’s done a great job.’
Those words led to an icy situation between the two stars. But Barkley recently revealed to Chris Russo on SiriusXM’s ‘Mad Dog Unleashed’ that the truce had been brokered.
‘I tell people it’s not like we’re Prince Harry and Prince William, who hate each other,’ Barkley told Russo.
‘Honestly, I think we both missed each other, because we’ve had this conversation with other friends, and we’re both too stubborn to pick up the phone, to be honest with you. But I think both parties missed each other a great deal.’
