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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Photo: Getty