Charles Barkley announced the 2024-25 season will be his final season on television with TNT and NBA TV.
Amid the NBA media rights negotiations, Barkley said he won’t go to another network. There’s been speculation that NBC or ESPN could look into Barkley, arguably the best basketball analyst on television.
But he put all rumors to rest after Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
“I want to say this because you guys are my family,” Barkley said. “I really love TNT. All the people who work here at NBA TV You guys have been great to me for 24 years and I just want to say thank you to my entire NBA family. I love you guys. You know, there’s been a lot of noise about the network the last few months. And I just want to say, I’ve talked to all the other networks but I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT. But I have made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television.”
Frankly, Barkley is sick of the discussion. So, he put it to bed on the air in the best way possible.
“And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family,” Barkley said. “You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude. But I’m gonna pass the baton at the end of next year. I hope the NBA stays with TNT. But for me personally, I wanted you guys to hear from me because I’m not doing any more interviews.
“Don’t y’all be calling me. I’m not talking about this again, but I want to tell my NBA and NBA TV and TNT family that I’m not going to another network, but I’m gonna pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter, or you Steve. But next year, I’m gonna just retire after 25 years and I just want to say thank you. And I want y’all to hear from me first.”
We can definitely expect a lot more golf and fishing out of Barkley, but it seems like his time in basketball is coming to an end.
Barkley previously talked about how TNT messed up the current media rights negotiations.
“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, Ernie (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.”
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