Charles Barkley announced on Friday that the upcoming season will be his final one on TV, regardless of the outcome of the NBA’s media deals.
The former Hall of Fame player has been a studio analyst for TNT for the past 24 years, but TNT may lose the rights to broadcast NBA games after the upcoming season.
Despite the uncertainty of where the games will be aired, Barkley has made it clear that he will not be moving to another network.
During NBA TV’s NBA Finals postgame show, Barkley stated, “There’s been a lot of speculation about our network lately, but I want to clarify that I will only be staying with TNT.”
The NBA’s current deals with ABC-ESPN and Turner Sports are set to expire after the next season, with discussions ongoing with networks like NBC, ESPN, and Amazon for future agreements.
Barkley, along with his broadcast colleagues Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, have been discussing their uncertain future on their popular show “Inside the NBA.” While Barkley could potentially attract interest from other networks, he has decided to end his TV career after 25 years and hopes to hand over the reins to a TNT teammate like Vince Carter or Jamal Crawford.
“I have made the decision that regardless of the outcome, next year will be my final year on television,” Barkley affirmed.
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