Charles Barkley talks Suns expectations and potential retirement: ‘I don’t want to die on TV’

Phoenix Suns legend, Hall of Famer and longtime NBA analyst Charles Barkley is entering what may or may not be the final season of his illustrious television career.

Barkley has been open about potentially retiring after the 2026-27 season — which tips off on Tuesday — but he told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday that one thing could bring him back.

“The only thing that could change my mind is if Ernie (Johnson) decides to stay,” Barkley said. “Ernie asked me to stay for two years because I was done last year before ESPN picked us up. I was like, I’m good because I met with NBC, I met with Amazon and I’m like, ‘I’m good. I got loyalty to TNT.’

“Ernie said will you stay for two years? I said, ‘Ernie, I want to die on the golf course. I don’t want to die on TV. Ernie, I’m 63 years old, man. I don’t want to die on TV. I want to die on the 15th fairway.’ …  If Ernie changes his mind, I would probably reconsider. But if Ernie’s done, I’m definitely damn done.”

Johnson has hosted Inside the NBA since 1990, and Barkley has been on the desk alongside Johnson and Kenny Smith since 2000. The program moved over to ESPN last season after a long run at TNT, a result of the NBA’s wave of media rights deals made in 2024 with ESPN, NBC and Amazon. TNT still produced the show.

Barkley has called he and Johnson and package deal in the past, and they still host a podcast called The Steam Room.

“We had Ernie’s 70th birthday, a surprise birthday party this summer here in Atlanta, and I’m like, ‘Alright, if you want me to stay, I’ll stay with you,'” Barkley said. “The main reason I stayed is so everybody can keep their jobs. We have we have 200 people who I love and respect behind the scenes. They were all gonna lose their job if ESPN didn’t take us.

“Ernie said, ‘We can keep everybody’s job.’ I said, ‘I love these people, I’ve been working with them for 26, 27 years. Let’s do it.’ But I don’t want to keep working till — I ain’t worried about death, I’ve had a good run, but I’m 63 damn years old. I saw Dr. J (Julius Erving) at 35. When I got to the NBA, him and Andrew Tony and Bobby Jones were like 35. We called them uncle and grandpa.”

The season debut for Inside the NBA is on Wednesday with Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Shaquille O’Neal.

What are Charles Barkley’s expectations for the Suns?

Barkley felt that making the playoffs for the second straight season would be a major accomplishment for the Suns, who won 45 games last year, the seventh most in the Western Conference.

“I always root for the Suns, I want to see them do well,” Barkley said. “You look at the West, obviously (the Thunder) and the Spurs are the two best teams. Minnesota has (Anthony Edwards). I think the Lakers are gonna surprise some people. … I think there’s tremendous pressure on Luka (Doncic).”

Barkley said he believes the Miles Bridges addition will help Phoenix, as well as the improvement of second-year big man Khaman Maluach.

As far as star player Devin Booker, Barkley continued to push him as a leader, which is something Barkley has brought up in the past.

“He can add the leadership because it’s his team,” Barkley said. “If he plays well, that will elevate people around him. I’m a big Devin Booker fan. Once (Kevin Durant) left, they had no leader when KD was there, right? I think Devin was kind of like, ‘KD is here,’ but KD is not a leader. He’s a hell of a player, but he’s not a leader. So now, Devin has to take that leadership role and that’s what comes with it. You can’t run from it.”

The Suns open their season on Wednesday on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers.

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