During their playing days, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns legend Charles Barkley were among each other’s top on-court rivals.

But years into retirement, the two former NBA MVPs are set to go head-to-head again.

Barkley is already one of the top NBA analysts in the industry. He’s part of the four-person panel along with four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith of popular show “Inside the NBA,” which is a TNT show but will air on ESPN at the start of the 2025 season.

He’s also among the highest paid in his profession after signing a 10-year, $210 million contract with TNT last August.

And now Jordan, who’s made billions of dollars from selling his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets plus his lucrative partnerships with Nik (and his Jordan brand), Gatorade, Hanes and other successful companies, is stepping into Barkley’s world after agreeing to join NBC as a “special contributor” in 2025 when the network begins broadcasting games..

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Barkley shared his thoughts on Jordan entering into the world of sports broadcasting and opened up on if there’s still a friendly rivalry between the two Hall of Famers.

“I’m glad to have him back, it’s going to be fun watching him,” Barkley said. “… We ain’t rivals. We’re all promoting the same sport. And that’s the good thing about it. We’re not in competition. We’re both trying to make sure the game grows. I’m glad to have him back.”