The well publicized 50th birthday of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan takes place this Sunday, the same day as the the NBA’s 62nd installment of their All-Star Game. Jordan is considered by most to be the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers, and therefore, his 50th birthday has garnered tons of headlines, and speculation that he could be prepping for another comeback….
Don’t believe the hype; if he got in terrific shape and actually joined the Bobcats (or whomever) MJ would get torched by average ballplayers. But does he still have some game left, even at age 50? Sure. Ask Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
Though Jordan’s birthday has dominated the basketball headlines this week, what many people may not know (unless they’ve been watching extensive NBATV & TNT lately) is that the Round Mound of Rebound is also just days away from his 50th birthday.
Who would’ve thought that two men, brought into existence in two extremely different environments (New York City, New York and Leeds, Alabama), who would grow up to become teammates, rivals, best friends and two of the best ever at their craft, would be born just three days apart?
Charles Barkley may have never won an NBA championship, but his two Olympic gold medals, five All-NBA First Team selections, 11 trips to the All-Star game (one MVP) and his 1993 league MVP justify his place in the annals of basketball.
Barkley & Jordan had many epic battles in their day, from the 1984 Olympic trials, where many observes believed Barkley was the best player in attendance (though he was cut due to friction with head coach Bobby Knight), to the 1993 NBA Finals where Jordan’s Chicago Bulls bested Barkley’s Phoenix Suns in a memorable six-game series.
What is often slept on, though, were their battles in the late 80’s, when both were cementing their place as elite players not only in the Eastern Conference, but in the entire NBA. Jordan’s Bulls and Charles’ 76ers would square off several times each year, but few meetings between the future Hall of Famers were as memorable as this 1988 contest at The Spectrum. The Chuckster ended the night with 42 points on 18-25 shooting and 16 rebounds, while Michael finished with 52 points on a mind-boggling 24-29 shooting from the field.
Here is a classic battle from Game 2 of the 1993 NBA Finals. Barkley and Jordan each drop 42 points.
Finally, the “trash talk” game between Jordan and Barkley from the latter stages of their career (1997).
“I used to be a Chippendale, now I’m a Clydesdale.”- Charles Barkley
Happy Birthday to two basketball originals; two of the most unique athletes in American history. The game of basketball would not remotely resemble the game we know and love today without ambassadors like Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan.
Salute.