Larry Johnson recalls how Alonzo Mourning trash-talking Charles Barkley backfired: "He finished with close to 40"

Former Charlotte Hornets All-Star power forward Larry Johnson takes great pride in his legacy as a competitor. He enjoyed intense on-court duels with his matchups, especially with the legendary Charles Barkley.

In fact, Johnson still vividly recalls the night Barkley tormented his team as revenge after Alonzo Mourning talked trash to him. According to LJ, that game took place when Chuck was at his peak as a player.

Johnson was confident about possibly getting the better of Barkley until Mourning began running his mouth following a blocked shot. What happened next was something LJ would never forget.

“One game, Charles Barkley got about 16, 17 [points], I got about 16, 17 [points], it’s the third quarter and he went to go up and shoot and Lonzo blocked it,” Johnson once recounted. “[Mourning was like] ‘Get that f—king sh—t out of here.'”

“I said, ‘No! just block the shot,'” he continued. “He put that big ass head down and I couldn’t stop him [Barkley]. Lonzo couldn’t stop him. He had like 16 in the third. He went there and I couldn’t go there, he finished with close to 40.”

Barkley outperformed both LJ and Zo

As it turns out, Johnson’s recollection wasn’t 100 per cent accurate. However, the point was taken as Barkley really outperformed both him and Mourning that night in Charlotte.

Apparently, that game happened on March 16, 1995. It was a close game, but the Suns ended up winning, 108-105, thanks to Barkley’s dominant performance.

Though Barkley didn’t log 40 points in that game, he scored a game-high 29 points and 15 rebounds to lift his team to victory.

Nothing ever stopped Barkley

Apart from Johnson, former Chicago Bulls power forward Horace Grant is another ’90s legend who had his fair share of epic battles with prime Barkley. The most memorable on-court encounter Grant had with Chuck was during the 1993 NBA Finals showdown between the Bulls and the Phoenix Suns.

Unlike Mourning, Grant didn’t really talk a lot of trash with Barkley in that series. However, Grant realized that the undersized power forward didn’t need any verbal altercation with his rivals to get him going.

As per Grant, Barkley was always ready to go toe-to-toe with anybody even if he was badly hurt. For Grant, Chuck was the toughest player the ’90s Bulls have ever faced.

“As an individual, no question it was Charles Barkley,” Grant replied when asked to name the biggest threat in the Bulls’ first three-peat in a Q&A on NBA.com in 2020. “He didn’t want them to lose. The guy played with an injured elbow, draining the fluid and still going out there putting up 35 points a night.”

The stories that Johnson and Grant shared only prove just how fierce a competitor Barkley was during his peak years. For them, every duel they had with Chuck was not only an exhausting matchup but also a learning experience.

In Johnson’s case, he witnessed firsthand the extent of what Barkley could do if you ever talked trash. On the other hand, Grant witnessed his toughness by playing through injuries.

When you combine the two, you get a monster on the court and a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Larry Johnson recalls how Alonzo Mourning trash-talking Charles Barkley backfired: “He finished with close to 40”

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