Sometime after the Bulls had beaten Phoenix for the NBA Championship, Michael asked me who I had been rooting for. Charles Barkley had played fo the Suns and had been named MVP for the season. I told him I had hoped for Charles to win .
‘You rooted for Charles?’
‘Yeah. You already have two rings and this was Charles’ last chance.’
Jordan was genuinely and instantly miffed. He demanded absolute loyalty. The irony was that Charles was his friend.