Charles Barkley has been very vocal about the league ending the deal with TNT and choosing Amazon instead. Everyone in the NBA community is sad to see "Inside the NBA" go, but Commissioner Adam Silver and the league's higher-ups are ready to go in a new direction, even if they want the crew to keep working .
Despite publicly criticizing the NBA, Barkley himself is open about the idea of the show continuing on a different network. If that happens, the legendary forward, who said he'd retire from TV after the 2024-25 season, would potentially extend his broadcasting career.
"I would have to sit back and say, 'Hey, tell me what you guys got and what you want me to do.' Even if we retained, we're gonna lose a day of the week, we're gonna lose the Conference Finals, every other year," Charles said on The Dan Patrick Show. "So when I talked to these companies, get back to me when you know what you got… Everybody's got money; they're paying two million dollars a year. I'd be a fool if I don't listen to Amazon; I'm not that stupid."
Barkley is not ruling out postponing his retirement
Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith have not spoken about taking their talents and continuing the show on Amazon. Still, it's unlikely that "Inside the NBA" host Ernie Johnson will leave Turner Sports due to his loyalty after his decades-long stint with the network.
If Amazon can fulfill Chuck's demands and Shaq and "The Jet" agree to join him, perhaps that would be enough to convince Ernie to change networks. As of now, nothing's off the table, at least according to the Hall of Famer.
The NBA is entering a new era
The NBA's deal with Amazon will last 11 years. Games will air on ABC/ESPN, NBC/streaming platform Peacock, and Prime Video.
In the official press release, Silver said , "These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade."
While most of the community is sad about "Inside the NBA" losing its spot in NBA media, the league will be more accessible, especially with Prime Video. However, the watching experience won't be the same with the greatest broadcasting crew ever. Hopefully, both sides can find common ground for the show to continue.
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