“This Little Kind in Trouble” – Charles Barkley Reveals How Michael Jordan Took Revenge Against a Trash Talker in the 1992 Olympics

By Uddipta Das On Jun 28, 2023 0

Michael Jordan didn’t need any extra motivation to play great in basketball. However, when faced with individuals who doubted him, he made an extra effort to play even better. Jordan spent his whole career looking for new ways to prove his haters wrong, both in sports and in other aspects of his life.

During a podcast with his co-host Ernie Johnson, basketball superstar Charles Barkley recalled a specific incident from the 1992 Olympics. He talked about how Michael Jordan directly confronted a Puerto Rican athlete who had made controversial remarks in the media.

Charles Barkley recalls a story about Michael Jordan

“This is when I knew Michael Jordan was crazy. Me, him, Chuck Daly and David Robinson go play golf. We’re playing Puerto Rico that afternoon… then we get to the game. Michael [Jordan] looked up and said ‘I got the point guard. ‘He said some sh** about me in the newspaper’ and I’m gonna get him.’ And we’re looking around like ‘uh oh’ this little kid is in trouble. It’s just amazing how he played 36 holes of golf and he’s guarding this dude like it’s Game 7. And he’s talking ‘don’t you ever say my damn name again,'” Barkley said.

Chuck remembers the time MJ played 36 holes of golf before a game 😅#CapitalOnesTheMatch is going down Thurs., June 29 in Las Vegas. Watch on TNT! pic.twitter.com/0NZpOsjzfM

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 27, 2023

Jordan was amazing not just because he was good at basketball. He had a strong will to win and always did his best. He never let anyone work harder than him and always wanted to prove himself to those who doubted him.

Barkley tried to distract Jordan in 1993 finals

Only a year after playing together on Team USA, Barkley had to compete against Jordan in the Finals. Even though Jordan and the Bulls eventually won the series, it wasn’t because Barkley didn’t give his best effort.

“When he played for Phoenix. … He [Michael Jordan] claimed he hadn’t read Sam Smith’s Jordan Rules, which was a best-seller. I read him some of the embarrassing excerpts where he made comments about his teammates. … Occasionally I would make things up, and he would turn around when I did that and shake his head,” former Suns player Robin Ficker said.

Jordan was an incredible competitor. He never allowed the pressure get to him, no matter how much trash talk or mocking he received from rival teams.