Surely, it’ll go better this time around … right?
The last time NBA legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley was waffling about the end of his career, he ultimately chose to go to the Houston Rockets in an attempt to create a late-’90s superteam consisting of him, Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Age and injuries ultimately derailed that team, giving Barkley an ignominious end to an otherwise impressive career after the 2000 season.
Fast forward over two decades and Barkley appears to have grappled with a similar conundrum — and made a similar decision.
After his playing days, Barkley made a name for himself as a bluntly outspoken pundit on the wildly popular “Inside the NBA” show.
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That show — where Barkley would typically be flanked by co-hosts Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson — would buttress TNT’s coverage of the NBA as a pre-game show, halftime show, and post-game show.
It was a popular show due to both its irreverence (for example, neither O’Neal nor Barkley had any issue calling out a particularly boring game that the network was about to carry) and actual basketball analysis from players who’ve been to the mountaintop (O’Neal and Barkley are two of the most decorated NBA players ever, while Smith is a two-time NBA champion himself).
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It was popular enough that fans and staff alike were publicly concerned about the future of the show when it appeared that the NBA would be leaving TNT in its latest round of television rights negotiations.
(This drama is ongoing. TNT and parent company Warner Bros.-Discovery are pursuing “legal action” against the NBA to keep basketball on the Warner networks after the league ultimately went with a different media rights package spearheaded by conglomerates like Disney and Amazon.)
Given the murky future of both the NBA and “Inside the NBA” on TNT, Barkley originally appeared ready to ride off into the sunset.
“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said during the NBA Finals, per ESPN.
“But I have made the decision that, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television,” Barkley continued. “And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me.
“My heart is full with joy and gratitude.”
That happened in mid-June.
On Tuesday, WBD and Barkley issued a joint statement announcing that Barkley will not be retiring following the coming NBA season.
“I love my TNT Sports family,” Barkley said. “My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible.
“We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future. This is the only place for me.
“I have to say … I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans.
“I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come.”
While Barkley, 61, did not give a firm timetable on what his future may look like, the Tuesday statement did note that Barkley signed a 10-year agreement in 2022.
