Charles Barkley and the rest of the “Inside the NBA” crew are preparing for their Emmy Award-winning show to move over to ESPN and ABC, but Barkley insists he is not going to be with the new network for very long.
Barkley is in middle of a 10-year, $210 million contract he signed with TNT in 2022. TNT will continue to produce “Inside the NBA” at its Atlanta-based studios, so Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson and the rest of the crew are still technically working for the same employer.
During an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” Monday, Barkley said he recently met with TNT executives and told them he is only going to work for two more seasons. He also warned ESPN and TNT that he will walk away if he is asked to do too much.
Barkley said he signed some sort of new contract last week and committed to two years.
“My big thing was the work schedule. I’ve been working on it for like two months. I got together with TNT last week and I signed a deal. … I said I’d work for two more years and that’s what I agreed to,” Barkley said. “I’m gonna have to trust them. If they start trying to work me too much between ESPN and TNT, I’m just gonna walk on home.
“I actually have seven years left on my contract. I’m like, ‘Yeah, there’s no way I’m working seven years.’ I’m gonna be a good soldier for Kenny and Ernie and Shaq and the people I work with, because I love the people I work with, especially behind the scenes. But I said the best I can do is two years. Them other five years, they got no chance of happening.”
"I actually have 7 years left on my contract…I'm gonna be a good soldier for Kenny, Ernie, and Shaq, and the people I work with…But the best I can do is 2 years."
– Charles Barkley breaks down his new contract, and discusses his emotions taping the final show on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/rfXB1028rv
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 2, 2025
Barkley has spoken openly about retirement in recent years, but he keeps coming back. It is probably a lot more difficult to walk away from a $20 million salary than the Hall of Famer tries to make it sound.
Remember, Barkley threatened to call it quits if TNT lost its NBA rights, which is exactly what happened. Now Barkley is claiming he will give ESPN/ABC two years.
This is not the first time that Barkley has made blunt remarks about his role now that ESPN/ABC will be broadcasting “Inside the NBA.” The 62-year-old insists he is not going to appear as an analyst on a bunch of other programs.
In the end, money always speaks the loudest. We would be surprised if Barkley walks away from “Inside the NBA” after two more seasons.