{"id":1573208,"date":"2023-06-25T15:38:23","date_gmt":"2023-06-25T19:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1573208"},"modified":"2023-06-25T15:38:24","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T19:38:24","slug":"charles-barkley-hired-well-known-heckler-harass-michael-jordan-during-1993-nba-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/charles-barkley-hired-well-known-heckler-harass-michael-jordan-during-1993-nba-finals\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles Barkley Hired a Well-Known Heckler to Harass Michael Jordan During the 1993 NBA Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1993, Charles Barkley<\/a> had his best shot at an NBA title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After spending the first eight years of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, the “Round Mound of Rebound” was traded to the Phoenix Suns<\/a> ahead of the 1992-93 campaign and quickly made an impact in the desert. Not only did he lead his new team to an NBA-best 62-20 record, Barkley also took NBA MVP honors, averaging 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 blocks, and one steal per game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But once he led the Suns to victories over the LA Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Seattle Supersonics on the Western Conference side of the bracket in the NBA Playoffs, Barkley was left with a significant barrier to overcome to snag his first ring: Michael Jordan<\/a> and the Chicago Bulls<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bulls, of course, were the two-time defending NBA champs at that point. And Jordan was in the prime of his career and was coming off another MVP-caliber season of his own. In leading the Bulls to a 57-25 regular-season record, he won a seventh straight scoring title, averaging 32.6 points, led the league in steals for a third time with 2.8 per game, and also averaged 6.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the Suns certainly had their work cut out for them in the 1993 NBA Finals<\/a>. And while playing against who was then one of his great friends, Barkley was ready to do anything to knock Jordan off the top of the mountain. He even went so far as to hire a well-known heckler to sit right behind the Bulls' bench and harass His Airness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles Barkley hired a well-known heckler to harass Michael Jordan during the 1993 NBA Finals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n