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What Michael Jordan said about Charles Barkley's shenanigans against Angola in the 1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, marked the first time that NBA players were allowed to compete. This led to the formation of the iconic "Dream Team," which featured some of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, including Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.
One particular game during the Olympics sparked controversy when Barkley, known for his aggressive playing style, got into a physical altercation with an Angolan player. After the incident, reporters asked Jordan about Barkley's actions.
Possibly get thrown out of the Olympics
All eyes were already on the Dream Team due to the immense star power they brought to the event. Barkley threw even more gas to the fire when he remarked, “I don’t know anything about Angola, but Angola’s in trouble,” before their first game of the tournament.
After making a fastbreak layup in the game, Barkley lived up to his word when he elbowed Angola’s Herlander Coimbra in the ribs. The stark difference between the two players—Barkley was a 250-pound powerhouse while Coimbra weighed a mere 174 pounds—made the play look more heinous.
After the game, the play was talked about more than Team USA’s 116-48 win. Jordan, in particular, was critical of Barkley’s actions, saying it could have gotten the latter kicked out of the tournament.
"If he keeps this up, they're going to throw him out of the Olympics," Jordan said.
"We've already created some ill feelings here, and that didn't help."
Not smart
Jordan continued his tirade regarding Barkley’s shenanigans, calling it “not smart.” With the spotlight on Team USA, Jordan emphasized the importance of sportsmanship.
“We all tried to talk to him and say, hey, we still want to be liked,” Jordan said.
“That’s one of those moves that wasn’t quite smart. Hopefully we can get past that mistake.”
Barkley tried to make amends with Coimbra after the game, posing with the latter for a picture.
