Charles Barkley won’t retire and is staying at TNT and here’s what we know
There’s been all kinds of twists and turns where the NBA’s broadcast future is concerned, but through it all the Hall of Famer has been a constant.
The NBA now faces a somewhat uncharted future in that it has broken its ties with its long-standing broadcast partner. There have of course been all manner of opinions on how that will turn out including those of former 76ers and Suns star, Charles Barkley. Whatever the case, we do know that he intends to continue with the role that he’s become synonymous with.
Charles Barkley is going nowhere
By now you know that Warner Brothers Discovery and the NBA have parted ways such that the broadcasting giant will cease to cover the league’s games following the conclusion of this coming season. What you may not know, however, is that Charles Barkley’s future with the company is secure. Indeed, Barkley is now entering the third year of a 10-year, $210 million contract such that he will be staying put.
Needless to say, this is a complete U-turn given that the 61-year-old had previously announced that he would retire after the 2024-25 NBA season. Additionally, Barkley’s declaration also lays to rest the immense speculation surrounding whether he would look for a job with another network such as ESPN, NBC, or Amazon. As arguably the most popular NBA analyst on TV, one can probably guess that the former Phoenix Suns star’s services are in high demand. This of course begs the question of what Barkley will do now with the NBA changing networks. Yes, WBD still has a portfolio that includes March Madness, MLB, NHL, and college football but let’s be honest, Barkley’s coverage of the NBA has become as standard as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
At any rate, there is still much to unpack when it comes to this scenario. Do recall, that WBD has initiated legal proceedings against the NBA for allegedly denying the network’s matching offer for Amazon’s package. That said, if there is one thing that’s now certain, it’s that Charles Barkley is staying put and by his own comments, he appears to be completely fine with that decision.
“I love my TNT Sports family,” Barkley said in a statement. “My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible. We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future. This is the only place for me. I have to say...I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans. I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come.”