Charles Barkley Drops Retirement Plans After Final 'Inside the NBA' TNT Episode
Charles Barkley Drops Retirement Plans After Final 'Inside the NBA' TNT Episode originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
"Inside the NBA" has been a staple for basketball fans for the past 36 years, and on Saturday night, TNT aired its final episode. Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and the rest of the crew aren't going away, though, with the show moving to ESPN starting next season.
Advertisement
It was a bittersweet moment for everyone at TNT. But despite the move, the crew will continue working with TNT and ESPN simultaneously.
Barkley was a guest on the "Dan Patrick Show," and said, "If they're being honest, we're gonna probably work on ESPN one-third or half the time."
Barkley has been outspoken about his concerns with the move because of his schedule. He has made it clear he doesn't want to take on more work as he is set to move between the two networks.
"If they start trying to work me too much between ESPN and TNT, I'm just gonna walk on home," Barkley added.
Advertisement
Barkley went on to discuss his retirement plans, saying he has seven years left on his TNT deal, but he's only got two more years in him.
"I actually have seven years left on my contract," Barkley stated. "I'm like, yeah, there's no way I'm working seven years. I said, I'm gonna be a good soldier for Kenny, Ernie, and Shaq, and the people I work with. Because I love the people I work with, especially behind the scenes.
"I said, but the best I can do is two years. And them other five years, they got no chance of happening. So I said, you know what, I'll give y'all two years. They're like, can we get three? I said, I just told you, I ain't gonna give you two."
11-time NBA All-Star and "Inside the NBA" host Charles Barkley.Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
The 16-year NBA legend also spoke about what he's going to be doing at TNT now that the show is moving to ESPN. He said he and the rest of his crew filmed a "pilot" a month ago for TNT and called it the "stupidest (expletive) I've ever seen."
Advertisement
"TNT is trying to do something stupid behind the scenes," Barkley added. "We taped a pilot about a month ago. And it was the stupidest (expletive) I've ever seen in my life...
Barkley said TNT wants to have a show with no "basketball highlights."
"Number one, we won't have basketball highlights," Barkley said. "But also, we're probably going to be going up against the NBA game. And anybody who likes basketball ain't going to say, hey, you know what, let me turn off an NBA game that's on Amazon, ESPN, or NBC to go watch these four dudes sit around and talk about nothing."
Related: Charles Barkley Didn't Hesitate When Naming the Face of the NBA
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
37 minutes ago
- New York Post
Adam Silver responds to NBA Finals digital decals controversy
The decal debate continues. During Wednesday night's 'NBA Countdown' on ABC, NBA commissioner Adam Silver responded to criticism of the digitally inserted images of the Larry O'Brien Trophy shown on the court during the broadcast of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Silver dropped a bombshell when he told viewers that these digital decals have been in use for 10 years. Advertisement 'People don't realize that they [the on-court decals] went away a decade ago,' Silver said. There has been over the atmosphere on TV during the NBA Finals, and some have suggested that the league should revive the on-court decals featuring the Finals trophy to make the game feel more special. Advertisement But Silver said that will not be happening anytime soon because of previous complaints from players. 'There were claims that…they were slippery.' Silver added. 'So, we're back to adding them virtually.' While, in theory, the idea of virtual decals is good, it all comes down to the execution. And, at least according to fans on social media, it was executed terribly. Advertisement During Game 2 of the Finals, some complained that the decals were glitchy and low-resolution. 'Looks like the @NBA got the memo about fans wanting more visuals of the #NBAFinals insignia and Larry OB, but superimposing a digital image isn't the answer,' another person wrote on X. But amid the many comments slamming the NBA's lack of effort were some interesting ideas if on-court decals were a no-go. Close-up of the CGI decals fans were treated with on Wednesday @awfulannouncing/X Advertisement Many pointed to the custom courts during the NBA Cup as something the league could employ during the Finals. During the in-season tournament, the NBA had 30 custom courts designed and in use, which is something some fans think could work for the Finals — especially if the 'slippery' decals are a worry. NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during a press conference before the Pacers' Game 1 win over the Thunder in the NBA Finals on June 5, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. NBAE via Getty Images But with Game 4 set for Friday night, don't be surprised if the digital trophy rears its head again.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dolphins' Bradley Chubb's Contract Named One of NFL's Worst
Dolphins' Bradley Chubb's Contract Named One of NFL's Worst originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Miami Dolphins have made a habit of giving players big contracts or extensions in recent years. That list includes players like Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, Jalen Ramsey, and Jaylen Waddle, who all signed their deals since 2022. Advertisement Now, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox named Chubb's contract one of the worst in the NFL as the 2025 season draws closer. The former Pro Bowl pass-rusher is on a three-year contract worth up to $54.5 million. "To be fair, this contract was a lot worse before Bradley Chubb agreed to take less money on a revised deal in March," Knox said. That initial extension Chubb signed was for $110 million over five years back in 2022 after he was traded from the Denver Broncos to the Dolphins. "That was a lot of money to give a pass-rusher with 26 sacks and one Pro Bowl on his resume. It was probably a bad deal, given Chubb's significant injury history—which may have foreshadowed issues in Miami," Knox wrote. Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) looks during training camp at Baptist Health Training Navarro-Imagn Images Knox noted Chubb's torn ACL in 2019 and season-ending ankle surgery in 2022. But the big injury that has sidelined him since New Year's Eve of 2023 was the torn ACL, meniscus, and patellar tendon that he suffered. Advertisement Chubb had 11 sacks that year, playing in 16 games. It was the only season he had double-digit sacks and the only season he played as many as 16 games since his rookie year in 2018. "The Dolphins have still guaranteed $33.5 million over the next three years to a soon-to-be 29-year-old second-tier pass-rusher," Knox said. "For a franchise that may be closer to a reset than a deep playoff run, that's a bad deal." Related: Dolphins Get Positive Update on Top Offseason Addition This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Nation's No. 1 Recruit Had No Words for 5-Star Athlete's Miami Post
Nation's No. 1 Recruit Had No Words for 5-Star Athlete's Miami Post originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the Miami Hurricanes continue to push for the top players remaining in the 2026 recruiting class, they've started to ramp things up with official visits. Advertisement That includes athlete Lamar Brown. He went to Coral Gables on May 30, marking the second time the program hosted the Erwinville, Louisiana, product. Of course, as is a long-standing tradition with almost any visit, Brown tried on the Hurricanes' uniform, which he showcased with a social media post on Thursday, captioned "Take me back!!!" That caught the attention of Miami commit Jackson Cantwell (the No. 1 player in the nation per On3 Industry Rankings), who acknowledged the post by replying with three shrugging emojis. Of course, it's no surprise to see Cantwell trying to help the Hurricanes land Brown, as On3 Industry Rankings have him as a five-star prospect, the No. 1 athlete, the No. 1 player in Louisiana and the No. 7 player in the nation. Advertisement Throughout his high school career, he has been extremely impressive and in 2024 earned MaxPreps Junior All-America first-team honors at offensive line after not allowing a single sack all season. However, as impressive as that is, in an article from On3's Chad Simmons, Brown revealed that he plans on playing defensive line for whichever program earns his commitment. Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario CristobalSam Navarro-Imagn Images Now, it will remain to be seen if Cantwell's subtle recruiting tactics pay off, as the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the LSU Tigers the best chance to land Brown at 96.9%, while Miami is listed at less than 1%. It's not as though these two are the only programs in play either, as Brown previously had an official visit with the Texas Longhorns on June 6 and has another scheduled with the Texas A&M Aggies on June 20. Advertisement Related: Texas' Former No. 1 Recruit Sends Clear Message to 5-Star Prospect This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
