Charles Barkley Calls Out 'Greedy' NBA Over Worrying Trend

The future of live sports appears to be headed toward streaming platforms. It's a reality that outspoken NBA legend Charles Barkley is not excited about.

Barkley recently appeared on CNBC's "Closing Bell" while at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Lake Tahoe. Barkley was at the golf course in preparation for the American Century Celebrity golf tournament.

The longtime TNT analyst was asked to talk about the NBA's ongoing TV deal talks, particularly about the role streaming plays in the negotiations.

Barkley did not mince words when he called out NBA owners and players for their alleged "greed."

“Well, I think that you've got greedy players and greedy owners,” Barkley said.

“They don’t really care about anything but how to make the most money possible. We should never put money above the regular fan. Everybody can’t afford streaming. There’s nothing wrong with streaming, but when you start just going to the highest bidder and you’re not on regular television, I think you do a disservice to the fan.”

Reports have pointed to Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), TNT's mother company, potentially losing out on their piece of the NBA pie by the end of next season. It's a scenario that Barkley hopes doesn't happen but appears inevitable at this point.

The NBA reportedly wants to zone in on the potential of streaming , which competing offers from Amazon and NBCUniversal could provide them. Both media giants already broadcast live sports on "Amazon Prime" and "Peacock," respectively.

According to Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal, the league doesn't believe that TNT, a "mostly linear broadcast network," would be able to provide the same support on the streaming end of things.

In May, Barkley announced that he would be retiring from TV at the end of next season. His departure may very well coincide with the end of the NBA on TNT.

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