Charles Barkley said on Tuesday that he doesn't see an end to his falling out with former close friend Michael Jordan.

Appearing on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Barkley revealed the source of their rift was critical comments he made about Jordan's running of the then-Charlotte Bobcats nearly a decade a go.

"The thing that bothered me the most about that whole thing, I don't think that I said anything that bad," Barkley told Marc Waddle and Tom Silverman. "I'm pretty sure I said, 'As much as I love Michael, until he stops hiring them kiss-asses, and his best friends, he's never going to be successful as a general manager.' And I remember pretty much verbatim I said that. And the thing that really pissed me off about it later is Phil Jackson said the exact same thing."

Barkley says he was always brutally honest with Jordan and he doesn't understand why Jordan couldn't accept that his comments were made in the context of his role as an NBA analyst.

"But I thought that was one of the reasons we were great friends," Barkley said. "Like, 'I can ask Charles anything and I know he's going to give me a straight answer.' But part of my job [as an analyst] is, because I can't go on TV and say 'Another general manager sucks' and then just because Michael's like a brother to me say 'He's doing a fantastic job.' That would be disingenuous."

For the 57-year-old Barkley, Jordan was like family.

"The guy was like a brother to me for, shoot, 20-something years," Barkley said. "At least 20-something years. And I do, I feel sadness. But to me he's still the greatest basketball player ever. I wish him nothing but the best. But, there's nothing I can do about it, brother."

As for a potential reconciliation, Barkley remains doubtful.

"Oh, he got my number," Barkley said. "He can call me."