"We didn't know Scottie wasn't gonna bring Michael Jordan with him" - Charles Barkley on why he did not win the ring in Houston

The world has never let Charles Barkley forget that despite how great he was individually, he never won a championship. In his defense, Barkley never truly got the opportunity, like others, to play with a genuine superstar in their prime in the hopes of maximizing what he could achieve in the league.

While there is residual backlash from his attempt to team up with Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon with the Houston Rockets, he's gone on the record to highlight they were prehistoric when they got together.

Barkley sat down on an episode of "The Reel" with House of Highlights and made sure Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny "The Jet" Smith knew the trio of himself, Pippen, and Hakeem were well past their expiration date when they decided to team up.

"They were 122 years old. Every guy I played with was 102 years old. And when I got with Hakeem, Clyde, and Scottie, we didn't know Scottie wasn't gonna bring Michael Jordan with him. But Hakeem and Clyde were 102 years old, so stop it, Kenny! I played with some old great players. Not great players in their prime. You got Hakeem in his prime. I got him when he was prime rib," he said.

Scottie didn't bring Mike

Pippen's departure from the Chicago Bulls prior to the start of the 1999-99 season is one of the more noteworthy events in league history. He went in search of a more lucrative deal and acted as the first domino to fall, eventually breaking up the most famous dynasty ever.

Pip was not short of suitors, and while he needed some buy-in from the Bulls front office, the writing was on the wall, and he facilitated a sign-and-trade to land in Texas.

Unfortunately for Barkley and company, Bulls legend Michael Jordan was clearly not part of the deal. According to Charles, they could have used his scoring as the trio were senior citizens.

The dream was past it

Like the others, it was evident Olajuwon's best days were also behind him. Four years prior, he was hoisting the Larry O'Brien above his head as a two-time Finals MVP, but like most big men in NBA history, his prime was relatively short, and it caught up with him when he finally got the help he needed again on paper.

It's important to emphasize the "on paper" portion, given that Barkley was undoubtedly also in that category as a shell of himself when he donned a Rockets jersey and that Pippen felt he was out of shape when he arrived.

Ultimately, it was one of the more underwhelming superteams we have ever seen. Unfortunately for Barkley, Jordan also wasn't coming to save him, and the legendary forward never got a chance to suit up alongside another all-time great in their prime.

Related: Charles Barkley on why LeBron James would struggle to guard him: "You can't stop a great player"