Charles Barkley said Monday that the LIV golf tour would need to make a “crazy” and “astronomical” offer for him to leave TNT.
On The Dan Patrick Show, Barkley said that unless the LIV Tour comes at him with “something crazy,” he is not leaving his current role as an NBA analyst for TNT. He added that the LIV offer would need to be “astronomical” for him to leave TNT and jeopardize his commercial endorsements.
Barkley: “[LIV knows] how much money I make. I have three years left on my TNT deal and I’m probably going to lose all my commercials. So those are two big things. If I lose my TNT gig, that would hurt me a lot. But I would also lose my commercials. … Considering how much money I make now, it would take a really huge number for me to give up my life right now.”
Patrick estimated that Barkley makes around $20 million per year currently — a figure that Barkley suggested was dead on — and asked what Barkley would do if LIV tripled that number. “If they triple it, the next time I’m on your show the first question should be ‘Charles, where are you celebrating tonight? Hey Charles, where’s the party tonight?”
Barkley said he has not spoken to his TNT bosses about his LIV flirtation and that they have been “very quiet.” Nor has he received a formal offer from the LIV. He indicated that he would break off talks if LIV is merely using him for publicity rather than seriously pursuing his services: “I’m not just going to be no show pony … don’t be wasting my time — I’m not going to waste your time. If I leave Thursday night [after participating in a LIV pro-am in New Jersey] without an offer in hand, it’s over.
Throughout the interview, Barkley maintained what he has said repeatedly throughout the process — that LIV is giving out so much money that he would have to at least have a conversation with them. “They’re giving guys 250 million dollars, I’d be stupid not to listen to that conversation.”
(News from The Dan Patrick Show 7.25)
