Charles Barkley Makes Big Announcement About His Broadcasting Future

It’s clear that the NBA no longer wants to be in business with TNT, which is why the league has been so bullish on forging ahead with its new 11-year, $20 billion deal with Amazon Prime Video.

But when NBA programming leaves the TNT airwaves in 2025, where does that leave Charles Barkley and the rest of the “Inside the NBA” crew, which also features Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith?

Well, Barkley recently stated on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he’s got options if he chooses not to retire from broadcasting.

“For the last three months, I’ve spoken to all the networks (ESPN, NBA and Amazon),” Barkley admitted . “I’m going to listen, I’d be stupid not to take their call. But the beauty of this situation, I don’t have to make any decision for a year. But I told all three networks I’m honored, I’m flattered that you wall want to talk to me but let’s see what happens in a year. … My intention — I’m not trying to play hardball, I’m not trying to get attention — my intention right now is to retire.”

If Barkley were to branch out from TNT, a network he’s worked at for the last 24 years, he’d likely be doing it solo. The 11-time All-Star disclosed that Johnson would never leave the network, and he wasn’t sure Shaq or Smith would either.

If the rest of his cohort said no to leaving to go elsewhere, Barkley is unsure if he would leave either.

“I don’t know how to answer that question right now,” Barkley said. “…I would have to sit back [and say] ‘ESPN, [Amazon and NBC], tell me what you guys got and what you want me to do.’ … Until they finalize what they got, because there was rumors even if [TNT] retained the NBA, we were going to lose a day of the week, we’re going to lose the conference finals every other year, so when I talk to these companies, I say get back to me when you know what you got.”

But just because his comrades possibly wouldn’t leave TNT doesn’t mean Barkley won’t at least hear what any rival networks have to pitch him.

“I’d be a fool to say I’m not going to listen to Amazon,” Barkley said. “I’m not that stupid. … I’ll talk to them all.”

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