Welcome Home, Charles! "On the court, he and I can compete, go head-to-head, and give everything for our respective teams."
"I can also beat him fair and square by leading my own team and prove my strength."
"But I will never join forces with his greatest enemy, form a superteam, and scheme against him to defeat him."
"That is not what a man should do. It would betray the bond between him and me."
These words were open and forthright, laying bare Barkley's principles and character.
He was competitive, proud, and unwilling to admit defeat. He had spent his entire life fighting to be the best.
He could accept losing to Li Fei. He could accept his own decline and becoming a supporting player.
But he could never accept joining forces with Jordan and taking revenge by forming a superteam to crush his former brother.
That was his dignity, and it was also his bottom line.
The other end of the line fell silent for a long while.
Jordan did not argue, explain himself, or grow angry.
He had been in the league for over a decade and had seen the ambition, hypocrisy, and self-serving nature of countless players.
Yet at this very moment, he understood the sincerity and conviction rooted deep within Barkley.
He knew Barkley's personality all too well.
He seemed carefree and rebellious, but in truth, he valued loyalty above all else and had firm principles.
Ever since Li Fei had left the Phoenix Suns, the two had been opponents on the court, yielding not an inch.
Every time they faced each other, Barkley gave it everything he had, determined to defeat his younger brother.
He wanted to earn respect and honor through his own strength.
But he would never take shortcuts or rely on outsiders to