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Charles Barkley already answered the prayers of thousands of Inside The NBA fans by walking back his retirement talk from earlier this year. In a new interview, the basketball legend says he left $100 million on the table to remain with Turner Sports and helped save jobs in the process.
Charles Barkley, 61, was a guest on The Dan Le Batard Show and shared details from his vantage point on Turner Sports losing out on the new NBA media rights deal, which would begin after the upcoming 2024-25 season. The Chuckster, who has been vocally loyal to the Inside The NBA studio staff, says he turned down bigger offers to help keep his team intact and employed.
“The number one thing for me is my people from Turner get to keep their jobs for at least another year,” Barkley said to Le Batard. “That’s all I was concerned with.”
Barkley added that he was courted by several suitors but decided to not leave his TNT crew in a lurch.
“I want to thank all of those networks for reaching out to me. It was really humbling and cool, to be honest with you. Even though they were throwing crazy numbers, like damn, but as long as I got my people safe at TNT man, I feel really good,” Barkley said.
It appears that the Inside The NBA crew will continue beyond the end of the NBA’s contract with Turner Sports. The NBA’s new 11-year deal will bring games to NBC and Amazon Prime Video, along with ESPN.
Charles Barkley also covers the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament by way of a media partnership with Turner Sports and CBS.
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Charles Barkley shocked the sports media world after announcing that he would retire from broadcasting at the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA season much to the dismay of many. The Hall of Fame hooper has since walked back those comments, saying that he intends to stick around in the booth for the foreseeable future.
Charles Barkley, 61, shocked viewers during this year’s NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, citing the current shakeup in the media landscape regarding the NBA rights going to other networks and reportedly ending the deal with TNT and Warner Bros. Discovery.
“There’s been a lot of noise around our network the last few months and I just want to say I’ve talked to all the other networks, but I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said during a postgame chat during the Finals.
The comments from “The Chuckster” were fueled by the NBA’s expiring deals with ABC/ESPN and Turner Sports, the latter of which Inside The NBA airs on its TNT network. As has been widely reported, the NBA reached agreements with NBC, ESPN, and Amazon, effectively ending the Turner Sports connection although the company says it will continue to try and retain some rights beyond next season.
Via a statement, Barkley stated his intentions to work beyond the following season while giving praise to his current network:
“I love my TNT Sports family. My (number one) 1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible. We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future. This is the only place for me, Barkley said. “I have to say — I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans. I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come.”
Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT Sports, has filed a lawsuit against the NBA, as reported by the Sports Business Journal. In the suit, Warner says that the league neglected the company’s matching offer, which Warner belives forcibly denied them the opportunity to obtain a package from the NBA.
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Charles Barkley is one of the most vital media figures of the global basketball community as evidenced by his long stint on the popular Inside The NBA program. Amid the NBA looking to enter broadcasting deals with other networks, Charles Barkley announced that the 2024-25 NBA season will be his last as a member of the Inside The NBA panel.
Charles Barkley, 61, appeared on NBA TV after Game 4 of the NBA Finals series between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, with the Mavs handling business. Barkley, speaking in his usual straight-talk fashion, has said previously that he was trying to find ways to keep Inside The NBA going but shocked viewers with his retirement announcement during the broadcast.
“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said. “But I have made the decision that, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television. 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.”
Barkley was referencing the ongoing negotiations between the NBA and Disney/ABC/ESPN, Amazon, NBC, and Warner Bros. Discovery for the league’s media rights. From early reports, it appears that Warner Bros. Discovery was the only group out as NBC seemingly emerged as a frontrunner although Adam Silver and the NBA have yet to share details of the potential deals. As it stands, Warner Bros. Discovery owns TNT and Inside The NBA and if a deal doesn’t materialize, the show would likely end anyway.
“I hope the NBA stays with TNT, but for me personally, I wanted you guys to hear it from me. I wanted to tell my NBATV and TNT family that I’m not going to another network, but I’m going to pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you Steve [Smith],” Barkley added.
Charles Barkley added a no-nonsense air of authority on the show and his spirited and sometimes chippy banter with co-host Shaquille O’Neal and good-natured ribbing with Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Ernie “EJ” Johnson Jr.
Barkley has been with the network since 2000.
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Anthony Davis is one of the most talented big men in the NBA but a cloud hangs over him regarding his durability given his past injuries. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley had a moment on Inside The NBA analyzing Game 5 of the Lakers-Warriors playoff series after Davis suffered a head injury which prompted the legendary big men to crack up on air.
Anthony Davis, 30, is having an exceptional playoff series for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are up 3-2 against the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. On Wednesday (May 10), the Lakers were on the losing end on the Warriors’ home court with the final score reading 121-106.
In the waning moments of the game, Davis was accidentally hit in the head by Warriors center Kevon Looney while both were going for a rebound. The hit was apparently hard enough that Davis needed to be wheeled out of the Chase Center.
At the conclusion of the game, Inside The NBA analysts were recapping the game, and in one segment not seen on camera, a sheet of paper could be heard being crumbled while Ernie “E.J.” Johnson Jr. broke down the footage of the Davis injury.
As the cameras cut back to Kenny “The Jet” Smith inside the TNT studio, O’Neal, and Barkley attempted to stifle their laughter and lost all of their cool after it was revealed that Davis left the floor in a wheelchair.
O’Neal and Barkley, both in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, can be tough on NBA big men given the impact of their careers. However, some on Twitter found the reaction to Anthony Davis hitting the deck a bit offensive while others joined in on the ribbing. NBA sideline reporter Chris Haynes and Lakers head coach both reported that Davis appeared to be on the mend.
We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
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