When Charles Barkley called out Tiger Woods for being 'uptight' and chose rival Phil Mickelson over him

Along with being one of the top big men in NBA history, Charles Barkley has made a name for himself in the golfing world. While many have laughed at his bloopers, the Hall of Famer has managed to become close with two of the best golfers of the past twenty years.

In sports, there are always debates among fans about who the best ever is. When it comes to basketball, the LeBron James versus Michael Jordan arguement will be waged for the foreseeable future. That being said, in the golfing world, it's Tiger Woods versus Phil Mickelson. Both have perfected their craft and given fans countless incredible performances over the years.

During an interview, Charles Barkley was asked to choose between the two legendary golfers. Most might lean toward Tiger Woods, but Barkley ended up choosing Mickelson. The main factor that led to his decision was that the people around Tiger were always uptight.

“Tiger won a bunch of tournaments, but there wasn’t much joy in it. Sure, Tiger is a better golfer. You’re just in awe of his talent. But it’s not fun to be around him."

"Everyone in his world is uptight and shit, afraid to say or do the wrong thing. Tiger himself has always acted like he’s under siege. Gimme a fuckin’ break—you’re just a golfer, dude.

"When you’re with Phil, you’re guaranteed to have fun. He makes people feel good. Everyone around him is always smiling. That’s a huge difference, man.”

Charles Barkley pokes fun at Phil Mickelson

Charles Barkley might prefer Mickelson over Tiger Woods, but their relationship isn't perfect. Not long ago, the former Phoenix Suns star opened up on how annoying of a friend he can be at times.

"Phil Mickelson is a great friend of mine. I've known him a long time, him and Amy. They're awesome. But Phil is that annoying friend."

"When you ask him a question, instead of answering your question – like, if you said, 'Hey, what's the weather like?' He says, 'You want the humidity, the barometric pressure, the high and low for the day?' No, man, I just want the damn weather. Tell me what the temperature is right now."

Inspite of this, Charles Barkley and Phil Mickelson are really good friends. A few years ago, they even paired up together on the golf course.

The two took on Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning and Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry in Capital One's "The Match."