Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan were very close friends during their time in the NBA, and after they retired from the game. The two legends had a deep bond, with fans often seeing them together, playing golf, and having appearances on TV.
Back in 2005, the two all-time great appeared on Oprah, where Barkley revealed how cheap MJ is. The 1993 NBA MVP told a curious story of when MJ stopped him from giving some money to a homeless man, explaining they could do more than just ask for money on the street.
“Let me tell you a story, I was gonna give money to a homeless man one time, and he (Michael Jordan) smacks my hand and says “If he can say, ‘Can I have spare change’, then he can say ‘Welcome to McDonalds’…”
“If he can say do you have any spare change, he can say welcome to McDonald’s can I help you please.”
Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan on Oprah. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/hrZZcLYaTX
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 14, 2020
Knowing who we’re talking about, this is not a surprise. Michael Jordan always lived pushing himself to the next level, hardly ever asking for help. He managed himself this way both on and off the court, so it’s not shocking that he doesn’t want to just give money away when people don’t have jobs.
Still, Jordan wouldn’t have gone broke if he gave this person some change. However, this is Michael Jordan we’re talking about. Although he laughed about it on the show, there’s no doubt that he took that very seriously.
Chuck didn’t have issues with that, and he was ready to help that man out until his former friend stepped in.
