NBA legend and classic TNT analyst Charles Barkley has committed to at least two more years of broadcasting with both ESPN and TNT, but the exact format of his on-air duties remains unclear. With TNT’s long-standing partnership with the NBA concluding after 35 years due to the loss of game rights, the future of the iconic “Inside the NBA” crew has been a hot topic.
While “Inside the NBA,” featuring Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, will continue next season through a licensing agreement with ESPN, TNT is also reportedly developing a separate show featuring the same popular personalities for their own network. However, Barkley recently shared some candid thoughts on a pilot episode for this TNT venture.
Joining “The Dan Patrick Show” on Monday morning, Barkley revealed his commitment to two more years with TNT, which inherently includes their agreement with ESPN. However, he didn’t hold back his opinion on the TNT pilot, stating bluntly, “TNT is trying to do something stupid behind the scenes. We taped a pilot about a month ago and it was the stupidest sh*t I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Barkley’s Concerns About the TNT Project
Barkley elaborated on his skepticism, clarifying that the “Inside the NBA” crew will likely only work for ESPN “half the time.” This led TNT to explore creating their own show with the same talent. However, the Suns legend pointed out significant flaws in this plan, notably the lack of NBA highlights and the potential to air opposite live NBA games on other networks like Amazon, ESPN, or NBC.
He reasoned that basketball fans would likely choose to watch a live game over a show featuring the analysts simply “sitting around and talking about nothing.” He described the pilot as “stupid stuff” and expressed his reluctance to conclude his broadcasting career in such a manner, emphasizing, “I wouldn’t want to go out like that.”
Despite Barkley’s reservations about the TNT pilot, the continuation of “Inside the NBA” on ESPN ensures that fans will still get their dose of the beloved crew’s chemistry and analysis. The behind-the-scenes efforts at TNT to create a separate vehicle for Barkley and his colleagues, while currently facing Barkley’s strong criticism, suggest a desire to keep this winning team on the air in some capacity. It remains to be seen what the final form of TNT’s new show will take.
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