Charles Barkley was one of the NBA’s brightest stars during the 1980s and 1990s, which still gives his opinions weight today. Now, the former Phoenix Suns forward has shared his thoughts on how much money Michael Jordan would make if he were playing in the modern NBA.
“Well, he’d be the first hundred-million-dollar player,” Barkley said when asked about the kind of salary Jordan would command in today’s league, during an interview on The Dan Patrick Show.
To back up his take, Chuck pointed not only to MJ’s on-court talent but also to his off-court impact and the way it translated into dollars. “The three most important figures in NBA history are Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. There are a lot of great players, but there’s only a few guys who transcend the sport. I’ll throw Kobe (Bryant) in there, I’ll throw LeBron (James) in there, I’ll throw Steph (Curry),” said the 1993 MVP.
“Magic and Bird started the transformation, Michael Jordan took it to a whole another level. He got guys making a $100 million dollars for Nike now, and other shoe brands. That’s all Michael Jordan,” Barkley added. “When he started doing commercials, that changed everything for everybody. Because of Michael, I was making millions of dollars for wearing Nike. Nobody was doing that, nobody had a signature shoe.”
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley
Barkley takes aim at today’s NBA players
While discussing the kind of money Jordan might make today, Barkley also shared his thoughts on the current generation of players. “Well, first of all, we’re gonna have guys making $70-80 million in three to four years, you know. Man, bless these guys as long as they appreciate how lucky they are and don’t think they’re making all that money because they’re great players. They were just born at the right time,” Chuck said.
“We got a bunch of great players, but man, these guys, I just hope they appreciate how lucky they are and stop this (expletive) with load management… You’re making $70 million dollars, you can’t play basketball four days a week? That’s the craziest stuff ever, man,” Barkley added.
Barkley weighs in on Michael Jordan joining NBA coverage
Just days ago, it was confirmed that Michael Jordan will be working with NBC on NBA coverage starting next season. Barkley also shared his thoughts on that move, though he seemed unsure about the role the Chicago Bulls icon will play. “I don’t know. I don’t see Michael being on television a lot. I find it hard to imagine, to be honest with you,” Charles said.
As for why NBC would pursue Jordan, the Phoenix Suns legend was blunt. “They have to do anything on their power to engage fans,” he said. Still, he was enthusiastic about the development: “I think it’s a very good thing that he’s back in the NBA landscape, knowing that he’s the greatest player in history in my eyes. I have no idea why he’s coming back, but he’s welcome.”
