The ESPN star tasked with ending one of Michael Jordan's most bitter NBA feuds revealed

ESPN veteran Michael Wilbon has been given the tough job of 'brokering peace' between Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, it has emerged.

Jordan and Barkley are two of the greatest basketball players of all time and the Hall of Famers were once 'best friends.' But in 2022, Barkley revealed they hadn't spoken in almost 10 years.

The feud dates back to comments Barkley made in 2012, when he said Jordan had 'not done a good job' as a majority owner of the then-Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets).

Later this year, Jordan will return to the NBA as 'special contributor' with NBC. Barkley is already a hugely popular pundit with 'Inside the NBA.' 

In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, 'Chuck' insisted he and Jordan are not on-air 'rivals' or 'in competition.' Instead, he is 'glad to have him back.'

But Wilbon has now revealed that he is tasked with re-building bridges between the two Hall of Famers. 

'That has been my job,' Wilbon said on 'Pablo Torre Finds Out,' before suggesting it remained a work in progress. 'And that’s all I will say about it,' Wilbon continued. 'It’s been my assigned job.'

The ESPN star was recently credited with helping to repair Barkley's relationship with NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins. 

'Chuck' opened up on his feud with Jordan in 2022, admitting that losing the Bulls legend as a friend was 'probably the most prominent thing that's happened to me.'

'I think probably, me and Michael were best friends,' he told Tom Brady's 'Let's Go!' podcast.

'But I was being honest about what I thought. I said, "The toughest thing about Michael, he’s got to put better people around him." 

'Because the toughest thing, when you’re famous, they’re on your private jet, you’re buying all the drinks, you’re buying all the dinners. Very few people are gonna be honest with you.

'I try to surround myself with people like, "Hey, if I’m screwing up, please tell me." And Michael got offended about something I said about him. 

And we haven’t spoken in probably almost 10 years. And he was my best friend at the time. And I love the dude like a brother and we’re both stubborn and we haven’t talked.'

Barkley is part of the popular 'Inside the NBA' crew, which will be shown on ESPN and ABC from next season after TNT lost broadcast rights. 

He and Jordan were also rivals on the court for more than a decade but 'Chuck' told the Daily Mail: 'We're all promoting the same sport. And that's the good thing about it... we're both trying to make sure the game grows.'