Charles Barkley is the last person you’d expect to cry on the court.

However, the NBA legend has been overwhelmed by his emotions just a handful of times in his career and some of his tears were once sparked by long-time rival Michael Jordan.

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Barkley and Jordan were two of the best NBA players in the 1990sCredit: Getty
Despite Barkley being one of the best players in the NBA for a period in the 80s and 90s, it took him eight years to reach the NBA finals.

However, when he finally reached basketball’s biggest stage, he was left depressed and filled with tears as he lost to Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls won the 1993 Finals 4-2 when John Paxson drilled a stunning last-second 3-pointer on the Phoenix Suns’ home court.

It took Barkley a while to get over the heartbreaking loss.

“I think this guy might be better than me,” Barkley recalled telling his daughter.

“I never said that about another basketball player in my life, ever. But I remember being so depressed.”

Jordan used Barkley’s MVP award for personal motivation.

“I didn’t get the MVP that year,” Jordan said. “They gave it to Charles Barkley. “With that said, ‘OK, fine. You can have that. I’m gonna get this.

Jordan averaged 51 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists in those finals while Barkley impressed, averaging 27.3 points, 13 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

That would be Barkley’s only NBA Finals appearance, so the heartbreak that caused tears were justified in the end as he would never go on to win a championship in his career.

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Barkley (right) is one of the best players in NBA history and went head-to-head with Michael JordanCredit: Getty

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Barkley spent three years at AuburnCredit: Getty
Jordan isn’t the only player to make Barkley cry either.

Former New York Knicks forward Kenny Walker once recalled leaving Barkley devastated after he hit the game-winnnig shot before the buzzer beater back in 1984 against Auburn for Kentucky.

Kentuchy won the match 51-49 despite Barkley’s 14 points and footage showed Barkley just sitting on the court upset after the shot went in.

“It never fails to come up when I am doing a postgame show with Larry Glover (on WVLK). Four or five times a year somebody will call and remember that night in 1984 when you made game-winning shot to make Charles Barkley cry,” Walker laughed and said.

“I love him and have known him since high school. A lot of UK fans do not like him because he was a bully and talked trash, but he could back it up and was fun to play against.

“He was just a big teddy bear. I mess with him every time I see him now and ask him about remembering Nashville in 1984. He is still feeling it after all these years, too. I think it still hurts him, and I get that but it also makes me smile every time I see him and think about it.”

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Barkley’s emotional attachment with Auburn hasn’t ended yet all these years later either.

He was filmed going through it in when Auburn lost in the Final Four to Florida on April 5.

Barkley is considered Auburn’s greatest ever player so it’s no surprise he still roots for the team, 44 years after he made his debut.