Charles Barkley has been among the most entertaining members of the NBA sportscasting teams for many years. His work on TNT’s Inside the NBA has created many memorable moments. Barkley has remained a highlight, from his conflicts with Shaquille O’Neal to his interactions with Steve Smith.
However, his time on the show might be coming g to an end. Here is what Barkley said is next for him in his NBA career.
Charles Barkley Reveals NBA Future
Charles Barkley was on NBATV after the Dallas Mavericks beat the Boston Celtics, bringing the NBA Finals series to a 3-1 deficit. However, Barkley had something to discuss besides that night’s basketball game. He wanted to talk about his future.
TNT basketball and the popular Inside the NBA show face an uncertain future. The NBA is negotiating its next media rights deals, which would start two seasons from now. If TNT loses out on the bidding wars, the network will lose basketball, and Inside the NBA will cease to exist. Barkley isn’t waiting around to see what happens.
Charles Barkley announced that next season will be his last as a television basketball analyst. He assured the fans and his fellow commentators that he would not be going to any other network than TNT. He then said that, even if TNT does keep NBA games, he won’t stick around either.
“No matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television,” Charles said. “And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude.”
The NBA has been negotiating a new deal with television networks. The new deals start when the 2025-26 NBA season begins. Disney/ABC/ESPN, Amazon, NBC, and Warner Bros. Discovery are bidding for what’s reported to be three available packages of games and affiliated content worth around $76 billion to the league over a decade.
That means one of those media companies will lose out on NBA games.
Charles Barkley In The NBA
“I hope the NBA stays with TNT, but for me personally, I wanted you guys to hear it from me,” Charles Barkley said. “I’m going to pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you Steve [Smith].”
Barkley said that next year will be the “best year ever” for him in this job.
Barkley played in the NBA for 16 seasons and retired as one of the greatest power forwards ever to play the game. He was an 11-time All-Star and is a two-time member of the Basketball Hall of Fame (once for his solo career (Class of 2006) and once for his role on the 1992 Olympic Dream Team (Class of 2010).
Barkley began working as a television analyst for TNT in 2000 and has never worked for anyone else over his outstanding post-playing career. He previously mentioned retirement in 2013 and 2017 but stuck around. He signed a 10-year contract extension in 2022, but it looks like he will opt out after three.
Are you surprised that Charles Barkley is retiring from his job as an analyst in the NBA? What do you think is next for the NBA Hall of Famer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
