Charles Barkley has cleared the air on his NBA media future — and he received’t be on the airwaves for for much longer.
Barkley introduced on NBA TV on Friday night time after Sport 4 of the Finals that the 2024-25 season might be his final on tv.
Amid TNT’s uncertainty over whether or not it’ll carry NBA video games previous subsequent season, Barkley stated he won’t be leaving the community however will as a substitute retire from TV altogether.
“I’ve made the choice myself — it doesn’t matter what occurs — subsequent yr goes to be my final yr on tv,” Barkley stated after including that different networks have approached him.
Barkley, a Basketball Corridor of Fame participant, has grow to be an icon as a media member during the last 20 years due to his work as an analyst on TNT’s “Contained in the NBA,” which is usually lauded as among the best studio exhibits in sports activities.
After he retired as a participant in 2000, he rapidly turned an “NBA on TNT” persona identified for his humorous method to speaking in regards to the sport.
However now, he believes when he hits the 25-year mark subsequent season, will probably be time to name it quits.
Amid all this, there are questions over whether or not Warner Bros. Discovery — the mother or father firm of TNT — will lose the rights to televise NBA video games after subsequent season, which places the way forward for “Contained in the NBA” into query.
Throughout Stanley Cup protection this week, ESPN’s Steve Levy even pitched Barkley to affix that community’s NBA protection, however the TNT persona largely sidestepped the subject.
However, on Friday, Barkley stated he’ll finish his media profession and look at hand over the “baton” to a alternative.
“I’m not going to a different community, however I’ll cross the baton to both Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter otherwise you, Steve [Smith],” Barkley stated.
Barkley additionally has labored on protection for the boys’s NCAA basketball match since 2011 on Warner Bros. Discovery-owned channels and CBS.
