The saga of Charles Barkley continues, as the TNT NBA analyst yet again reaffirmed his commitment to his employer.
On the latest edition of “The Steam Room” podcast he co-hosts with TNT colleague Ernie Johnson, Barkley said that he will remain with TNT Sports and has turned down a previously-unreported contract offer from NBC. Barkley also said that he will no longer hold any meetings with Amazon.
Throughout the process of TNT losing its NBA rights, Barkley has been vocal about his status — and that of his colleagues — but rarely consistent. He said during last year’s NBA Finals that he would retire after this season, then that he would commit exclusively to TNT Sports, then that he was undecided and listening to offers from NBC and Amazon.
Even his latest comments are not definitive, as Barkley is conditioning any future role on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” — which is set to move to ESPN/ABC under a licensing deal reached last year — on his potential workload. He said on “The Dan Patrick Show” last year that he had no intention of working more than two days a week.
Barkley, who dating back to his playing career has a history of making conflicting statements about his future, signed a ten-year contract extension with TNT Sports two years ago. That deal came after days of speculation — fueled primarily by comments he made in interviews — that he would leave TNT to broadcast events for LIV Golf.
Barkley’s colleagues Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, who along with Ernie Johnson struck contract extensions at the same time Barkley did in 2022, are expected to reach new deals to remain on “Inside” as it transitions to its new ESPN era.
