Charles Barkley has been a staple on Inside the NBA for more than 20 years, providing fans with insightful commentary and humorous anecdotes. As the show’s possible last season draws near, Barkley recently talked about what he’ll miss most about being on it.
Charles Barkley has been a part of ‘Inside the NBA’ since 2000, shortly after he retired from playing professional basketball1. The show might be ending because Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT, has not matched Amazon’s terms in the new broadcasting deal with the NBA.
Being the most important person on the show, an 11-time All-Star, recently did an interview with ‘On3’ where he openly shared what he will miss about the show. He said, “I just think the people. You got to understand something, how many of these people I met… And I’ve been there for 24 years. So when you work with somebody for 24 years, they’re part of your family.”
Charles Barkley has won five Sports Emmy Awards for being the “Outstanding Studio Analyst” on Inside the NBA. He already announced that the 2024-2025 season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with the broadcasting deal.
Charles Barkley in Talks with the Networks for New Role
The NBA has signed a new 11-year media rights deal with Amazon, NBCUniversal, and Disney-ESPN, which excludes TNT from the agreement. Barkley is considering leaving TNT because the network might lose its NBA broadcasting rights. However, he has not made a final decision yet. He keeps his options open and has spoken to all three networks about potential opportunities.
The 1993 NBA MVP told Dan Patrick, “I have spoken — for the last three months — I have spoken to all the networks….first of all, you would have to ask Ernie (Johnson) that. Because Ernie would probably never leave Turner. But, Dan, everything’s on the table.”
Barkley made it clear that he won’t accept a pay cut from his $210 million contract. He said, “They’ll either have to guarantee the full ten years, ($210 million), or they’re going to have to ask me to take a pay cut, which, under no circumstances, am I taking a pay cut. Zero chance of me taking a pay cut.
