Charles Barkley didn’t hold anything back when talking about Inside The NBA possibly ending amid the league’s media rights potentially going to NBC and leaving Turner.
In an appearance on Thursday’s Dan Patrick Show, Barkley was honest as can be, as usual of course. The iconic pregame show with him, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson could be gone soon.
So, Barkley didn’t hold back his opinion of his bosses and network.
“Morale is low, plain and simple,” Barkley said. “You know, I just feel so bad for the people I work with Dan. These people have families and I just really feel bad for them right now. You know, these people I work with, they screwed this thing up clearly. And we have zero idea what’s going to happen. I don’t feel good. I’m not gonna lie, especially when it came out yesterday and said we bought college football. I was like, oh damn, they couldn’t use that money to buy the NBA.”
That’s where Barkley’s confusion really ramped up, considering TNT was never a traditional player in college football in recent memory.
“We’ve never had college football, I’ve never been involved with college football,” Barkley said. “And I’m like, wait a minute, shouldn’t we be spending every dime we got to keep the NBA? So morale sucks to be honest with you, Dan.”
Patrick even suggested to Barkley that “Sir Charles,” Shaq, Smith and Johnson should form their own production company and sell Inside the NBA to any number of networks.
“Well, I’ve talked to the guys about everybody signing with my production company because I have my own production company and I would love to do that if we lose it,” Barkley said. “Actually somebody suggested that to me to be honest with you on the internet. So why don’t Charles Barkley sign these three guys, four guys total, to his production company and sell it? I’m like that’s a great idea.
“But like I say, you know, we’re just sitting back waiting on these people to figure out what they’re gonna do. You know, my two favorite wines are Inglenook and opus. These clowns I work for, they turned us into Ripple and Boone’s Farm and Thunderbird. Like we got the best studio show, like we just won best studio show, but these fools turn up from Inglenook and Opus into Riple and Boone’s Farm and Thunderbird, it’s crazy.”
Charles Barkley goes scorched Earth on TNT
Patrick was quick to ask: “you’re actually angry” to Barkley. Oh yes he is.
“I am,” Barkley said. “You know Dan, it’s so interesting. I’ve been spending a lot of time with the crew lately. I’ve actually been with these guys who I spend time with, they bring their newborns in. They bring their kids and they’ve come in like when they were in high school, and now they’ve graduated from college. I mean, that’s how long you know, Ernie has been there 32 years, Kenny’s been 27, I’ve been there 24/ But think about that.
“Some of these people I worked with, they brought their newborns here … and now they’ve already graduated from college. So yeah, I’m angry … They’re part of my family to be honest with you. So, and I feel bad for those guys.”
Barkley then said how he believed TNT messed this current situation up, regarding the NBA rights.
“Well, I think the first thing is, you know, they came out and said we didn’t need the NBA,” Barkley said. “So I think that probably pissed Adam (Silver) them off. I don’t know that (for sure) … When we merged, that’s the first thing our boss said: ‘We don’t need the NBA.’ But he don’t need it. But the rest of the people, me, Kenny, Shaq and Ernie and the people who work there, we need it. So it just sucks right now. The thing that’s interesting and me, Kenny, Ernia (and Shaw) talk about it, like, people walk up to me. I’m not even joking, 20 times a day. I’m like, dude, thank you for the kind words, but I have zero idea what’s going to happen.”
The problem is, Barkley and others don’t know what’s actually set in stone yet.
“You know, it’s like you can’t go anywhere,” Barkley said. “And it was really frustrating. We all are getting sent like five, seven articles a day about we’ve already lost it or we’re on life support. TNT is trying a fourth quarter comeback and I don’t know Bill Simmons, who I know I’m a big Bill Simmons fan, he sent me articles like they’ve already lost it. I was listening to Mad Dog Russo the other day like ‘oh, the deal is over with. It’s already going to NBC.’ So I don’t know what to believe. It sucks for for the people, all of us.”
The post Charles Barkley on ‘Inside the NBA’ crew amid possible ending of show: ‘Morale sucks’ appeared first on On3.