Charles Barkley nearly didn’t get enough screentime in Space Jam. Michael Jordan got to step off a spaceship to “I Believe I Can Fly.” Chuck got shooed off a backyard court by teens. But he apparently made up for the lack of dramatic montage off-camera. The confirmation came from an unlikely source, Mardy Fish.
The retired tennis pro just beat Barkley and other celebs at the American Century celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe. But the match was all about these celebrity friendships we don’t see enough of. On The Rich Eusen Show, Fish had stories that verified that Chuck the friend is a ball of fun. One episode Fish witnessed was when Chuck and Mike were still friends.
“I will never forget a karaoke night where he sat Michael Jordan in a chair on the stage, got on a knee and sang, ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ to Michael Jordan and the place went nuts,” Fish narrated to Eisen.
What we wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when that happened. Fish didn’t reveal when this happened but it had to be after Space Jam was released in 1996. It was after the cult classic that the R. Kelly hit became the Michael Jordan theme song. Barkley was in the flick too, getting his talents stolen by the Monstars. Yet seeing the Chuckster serenade MJ was not on anyone’s bucket list until the tennis star revealed this.
The most recent MJ look to being serenaded was on his vacation. A saxophonist played the Chicago Bulls theme song from the ’90s at a restaurant and Jordan loved it. We wonder what his reaction to Chuck singing to him was.
To Fish, that made Barkley “accessible” and “A+.” He’d never get tired of hanging out with Chuck if also to beat him in the greens. Though it would be fun if Jordan joined the party.
Chuck misses playing golf with MJ
Barkley and Jordan were as tight as friends as they were rivals. Their shared love for golf was among the many things they bonded over. But they had differences over MJ’s tenure as the Charlotte Hornets’ owner. Barkley was critical of him and that upset Jordan enough to cut him off.
But Charles remains a loyal friend. He doesn’t hold any hard feelings over it, is occasionally defensive of MJ in public, and sometimes hopes for reconciliation. Yet he also doesn’t like everyone asking about their fallout.
Meanwhile he can still enjoy shooting a few holes with Mardy Fish, the winner of the American Century Championship. Barkley however stole the show with his improved swing and rising from the low eighties to #58. That’s a personal best throughout his American Century Championship history, beating his #60 rank in 1995. If he wants to break into a rendition of “I Believe I Can Fly” to celebrate, we won’t mind.
Stay tuned for more such updates. And, join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.