"Man! Michael Jordan shot the ball 43 times!" - Charles Barkley's reaction after seeing MJ's box score in their 1993 Finals matchup
The 1993 NBA Finals are etched in fans' memories due to various factors. For one, it was the culmination of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls' first three-peat. Second, it was Charles Barkley's one and only Finals appearance. Lastly, it was a great duel between two legends and great friends at the time, as it produced some unforgettable moments.
Game 3 in Chicago is considered to be one of the best NBA contests ever. The Suns beat the Bulls 129-121 in triple-OT to trim the deficit to 2-1 after losing the first two games at home. Interestingly, one of the first things Chuck noticed after the tight contest was MJ's box score.
"Man! Michael Jordan shot the ball 43 times! Damn, that's unbelievable, he's going to be icing his elbow, too!" Charles exclaimed, as reported in a 1998 edition of SLAM Magazine.
Chuck rallied the troops
Dropping the first two games in the Finals in front of their home crowd really lowered the spirits in the Suns locker room, but being the leader he was, Barkley wasn't going to let his first chance to get a ring just go down the drain. Charles rallied his troops and brought back life into the Phoenix squad, which actually presented a challenge to the Bulls dynasty.
Chuck played for 54 minutes and scored 24 points, along with 19 rebounds and four assists, to bring the Suns back into the series. He would get a lot of help from his supporting cast, with Kevin Johnson (25 points), Dan Majerle (28 points), and Richard Dumas (17 points) all chipping in.
In one instance, Barkley even fouled Jordan hard as Michael was driving to the basket, showing that their off-court friendship was a non-factor on the court.
"They can be friends after the game, but not now," Magic Johnson was explaining in the broadcast booth.
Michael wasn't happy
On the other hand, Jordan had a great game, scoring 44 points with nine rebounds and six assists, but he was forcing the issue, as Charles pointed out, converting on 19-43 shots from the floor. The Suns' defense made him work for every point, and it was enough to get the win.
Although Michael admitted it was a good contest, he still wasn't happy with the outcome.
"I felt it was a great game, but not one of the greatest I've ever played in, because we lost," MJ said.
However, in the end, Michael would prevail like always, leading the Bulls to win it all in six games and earning his third championship in a row to conclude his first three-peat. Charles and the Suns presented a huge obstacle, but it wasn't enough to take down the GOAT in his prime.
Jordan and Barkley's friendship was alive and well during those times, as their falling out came during their retirement. Oddly enough, it was a non-substantial war of words that ended their relationship rather than battling it out on the biggest stage—a pretty strange outcome for two such fierce competitors.
