Charles Barkley says next season will be his last on television

Long-time NBA analyst for TNT Charles Barkley revealed on NBA TV Friday night that next season will be his last on TV.

Charles Barkley says he's done doing TV after next season – he's talked to other networks but he's not going anywhere other than Turner/TNT pic.twitter.com/sH89v0tI1D

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 15, 2024

“I have made the decision myself no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television,” Barkley said.

Barkley is approaching his 25th season working for Turner Sports. There was a large spotlight on the negotiations surrounding the NBA’s broadcasting rights for the future, as reports indicated that Turner Sports’ ability to retain them were in jeopardy. NBA fans were distraught particularly at the thought of losing TNT’s award-winning “Inside the NBA,” a staple of the league’s culture for over two decades thanks to personalities like Barkley.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver apologized to employees of Turner Sports in early June for the length of the negotiations.

“I will say directly from me (to) the people that seem to be most impacted right now — the folks at Turner Sports — I apologize that this has been a prolonged process,” Silver said Thursday during his annual press conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals. “I know that they’re committed to their jobs. … No one likes this uncertainty. And I think it’s on the league office to bring these negotiations to a head and conclude them as quickly as we can.”

Barkley, of course, would be one of the hottest free agents in the history of sports broadcasting if Turner Sports indeed lost the rights. His comments on Friday acknowledged he has spoken with other networks. He previously said, however, that something he was looking into was rebooting “Inside the NBA” on his own through his production company as a way for the show to exist in its own state outside of Turner Sports.

Barkley, though, indicated that previous possibility is now out the window and so is any potential of Barkley taking on a role with another network in the future.

Barkley is a Hall of Famer from his playing days that included a stint with the Phoenix Suns when he led them to the NBA Finals in 1993 and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

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