Hall of Famer Charles Barkley recently shared a candid reflection on how Michael Jordan earned his respect during the 1993 NBA Finals. Speaking on The Dan Patrick Show, Barkley admitted that it wasn’t until that six-game series against the Chicago Bulls that he believed Jordan was truly the superior player.
“Let me tell you this, and I’ve talked about this publicly before,” Barkley said. “I did not think Michael Jordan was better than me until he beat me in the Finals.”
At the time, Barkley was coming off an MVP season with the Phoenix Suns and had led the team to a league-best 62–20 record. Despite having faced Jordan previously during his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, Barkley believed their matchups favored him until the Bulls emerged as a title contender.
“When I was in Philly we actually had success against them, then they got good. They beat us in the playoffs one year, but I thought it was because he had some better players around him,” Barkley said.
Following his trade to Phoenix in 1992, Barkley recalled a pivotal exchange with Dream Team coach Chuck Daly during Team USA’s Olympic practices.
“Chuck Dailey had told me, ‘You’re the second best player in the world.’ I said I’m the best f—ing player in the world,” Barkley said. “He says, ‘No, that guy right over there is the best player in the world.’ I said, ‘Well I’m going to prove it to your a– this year when we play them in the Finals.’”
Barkley said he confidently predicted a Finals matchup with Chicago before the 1992–93 season began.
“This is during the Dream Team practices, and I said, ‘I’m the best player in the world. I’m going to prove it to you. We’re going to play the Bulls in the Finals,’” he said. “I remember telling the guys that go in training camp, I said, ‘We’re going to play the Bulls in the Finals.’ How you know that? ‘Because I’m the best damn player in the world and I’m going to prove it.’”
However, once the series began, Barkley said his confidence wavered after the Suns dropped the first two games at home in Phoenix.
“My daughter was upset crying, we lost the first two games,” Barkley recalled. “I said, ‘Hey, just relax we’re going to be fine, but I got to tell you something. I ain’t never said this in my life but I think that guy might be better at basketball than I am.’”
The Suns extended the series to Game 6 but ultimately fell short when Jordan and the Bulls clinched their third consecutive championship.
“I remember telling her, ‘I ain’t never said this to you before, that guy’s better at basketball than me,’” Barkley said.
He concluded, “I thought Michael Jordan was a better player than me. That’s the only player I ever played against I thought was better than me.”
