What do you get when an NBA legend claims a little-known role player “gave him nightmares”? A rivalry you never saw coming. If you’ve followed Charles Barkley for any amount of time, you already know the man doesn’t hold back. So when he recently singled out Popeye Jones, eyebrows were raised across the basketball world. And recently, his comments about former NBA player Popeye Jones have stirred up a wave of online curiosity. So, what’s the deal with Barkley’s so-called “hatred” for Popeye? Is it real beef or just classic Chuck being Chuck?
Let’s rewind to 2019. Barkley made waves on The Dan Patrick Show when he casually dropped that he only ever “hated” playing against two people — one was Celtics great Kevin McHale. The other? Surprisingly, it was Popeye Jones, a role player best known for his time with Dallas. Since then, Barkley’s turned this confession into a bit of a running gag. In a 2023 sit-down with House of Highlights, he brought it up again while listing tough opponents, laughing, “Popeye Jones gave me nightmares”.
Fast forward to May 2025, and Barkley found another way to bring Popeye into the spotlight — this time on an NHL on TNT broadcast. While discussing NHL defenseman Seth Jones, Barkley joked, “I hate Seth Jones. I really do.” The reason cited? Typical Chuck response. “His dad. I played in the NBA for all those years. His dad was the only person who kicked my a** all the time,” nodding to Popeye. Now you know where this comes from. “And I could hold my own against those guys. I never had any success against Popeye Jones. And to this day, I have no idea why I’m gonna always hate Seth Jones because of his dad.” Then, without missing a beat, he showed love for Brad Marchand: “I love watching Marchand… I have nothing but admiration,” before circling back to Seth with that classic Barkley humor.
But here’s the twist — Popeye Jones? He’s never clapped back. No interviews, no public statements, not even a tweet. If anything, Barkley once joked that he now greets Popeye by saying, “You a better man than me”. So, no — Barkley doesn’t really hate Popeye. But did Popeye really cause him that much trouble on the court? Or, maybe the numbers and figures will tell us what Charles hasn’t.
On-court meetings: games, stats, and clashes between Charles Barkley and Popeye Jones
When fans think of epic NBA rivalries, Charles Barkley and Popeye Jones probably don’t top the list—and for good reason. The two did share the court briefly, but there was never a dramatic feud brewing between them. Barkley hit his prime in the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s, while Jones’s career spanned from 1992 to 2004. Their paths crossed just 10 times during regular-season games. But the win record?
According to Land of Basketball, Barkley’s squads walked away with the win in nine of those ten encounters. In fact, the site puts it plainly: Barkley was a dominant 9–1 over Jones in head-to-head games. Statistically, Barkley had the upper hand. He averaged roughly 23 points and 12 rebounds across those matchups, making it clear he wasn’t exactly being “owned” on the floor.
And despite how physical the league was back then, there were no fireworks between them. Barkley was tossed from one late-‘90s Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks game, but as the LA Times pointed out, it had more to do with a heated debate with the ref than anything involving Jones. No fights, no reported tension—just another series of matchups between two pros doing their job.
The post Why Does Charles Barkley Hate Popeye Jones? Exploring NBA Legend’s Intense Rivalry appeared first on EssentiallySports.