For years, Charles Barkley has worn his confidence like a badge of honor and with good reason. An MVP, an 11-time All-Star, and a generational talent who bulldozed his way through defenders with unmatched intensity, Barkley never shied away from saying he was the best.
But in a July 11, 2025 interview on The Dan Patrick Show, Barkley finally opened up about the one player who changed his mind.
“I Thought I Was the Best Player in the World”
When asked whether he thought he was better than Larry Bird and Michael Jordan during his playing days, Barkley didn’t hesitate:
“Yes. Yes. Yes.”
In fact, Sir Charles didn’t believe Jordan was better than him until they met in the 1993 NBA Finals.
“I did not think Michael Jordan was better than me till he beat me in the Finals,” Barkley admitted.
Back when Barkley played for the Sixers, he felt the Bulls simply had the better team—not necessarily the better player. But that all changed when he landed in Phoenix.
Chuck Daly Told Him He Was No. 2—Barkley Disagreed
Shortly after his trade to the Suns, Barkley recalled a pivotal conversation with Dream Team coach Chuck Daly during a Team USA practice.
“He says, ‘You’re the second-best player in the world.’ I said, ‘I’m the best f***ing player in the world.’”
According to Barkley, Daly replied by pointing to Michael Jordan:
“That guy right over there is the best player in the world.”
That lit a fire in Barkley, who made it his mission to prove Daly, and everyone else, wrong.
“I said, ‘We’re gonna play the Bulls in the Finals and I’m gonna prove I’m the best player in the world.’”
The Finals That Changed Everything
Barkley wasn’t just talking. He told his Suns teammates during training camp that they’d face the Bulls for the title and they did.
But after dropping the first two games of the series, something shifted.
“I went home and told my daughter, ‘I think that guy might be better at basketball than I am.’”
Even then, he wasn’t fully convinced. The Suns won Game 3, lost Game 4, and won Game 5, setting the stage for a high-stakes Game 6 back in Phoenix. But after the Bulls closed out the series, Barkley had to admit the truth.
“That guy’s better at basketball than me.”
Only One Name on That List
It wasn’t about humility. It was about honesty.
Barkley made it clear that Michael Jordan is the only player he ever admitted was better than him.
“I thought Michael Jordan was a better player than me. That’s the only player I ever played against I thought was better than me.”
