NBA legend Charles Barkley made the surprising decision to retire from television, revealing that next season will be his 25th and final year as an analyst.
The former Philadelphia 76ers star, 61, has been a television personality on Inside the NBA since 2000, and his news comes alongside the controversial decision to eliminate the show beginning at the end of next season.
Speaking after Game 4 of the NBA Finals between Celtic and Mavericks, Barkley said: “I’ve been thinking guys… I want to say this, because you’re my family.”
“I really love TNT, all the people who work here, NBA television, you guys have been great to me for 24 years. I want to thank my entire NBA family, I love you guys. There’s been a lot of noise on our network in the last few years. last months.
“I just want to say that I’ve talked to all the other networks, but I’m not going anywhere else but TNT… but I’ve made the decision myself, whatever happens, next year will be my year.” past on television.
Charles Barkley appeared on NBA TV to announce that he will retire from television next year.
‘My heart is full of joy and gratitude, but I will pass the baton at the end of next year. I hope the NBA sticks with TNT, but I personally wanted you to know it from me.’
Barkley then insisted that he will not give any more interviews about the matter, apparently keen to stay out of the spotlight.
“I won’t do any more interviews,” he said. ‘Don’t call, don’t let anyone call me, I’m not going to talk about this again. But I wanted to tell my NBA TV and TNT family that I will not go to another network.
‘But I’m going to pass the baton to Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter, or to you, Steve (Smith). Next year I’m retiring after 25 years and I just wanted to thank you and I wanted you to know it from me first.’
Barkley will go down as one of the greatest basketball analysts of all time, most famous for his work alongside Shaquille O’Neal over the past 13 years.
‘Chuck,’ as he is known, is part of a long-standing panel on Inside the NBA that includes host Ernie Johnson Jr. (since 1990) and Kenny Smith (since 1998).
Barkley joined in 2000 and was alongside Magic Johnson from 2003 to 2007, and then Reggie Miller from 2008 to 2011, when O’Neal joined.
The show has won 19 Sports Emmy Awards since its inception and is widely considered one of the best sports analysis shows on television.
However, Inside the NBA will soon cease to exist, and the show will end after the 2024-25 season, when TNT loses the rights to show the NBA.
Instead, the league is reportedly closing deals with ESPN, Amazon and NBC for a combined $7.4 billion a year.
Barkley recently shared his fears that up to 200 people could lose their jobs.
“It sucks right now for the people I work with,” Barkley said on Sirius XM. ‘There’s nothing I can say. I care about the people I work with.
‘I feel bad, man. Because probably 200 people will lose their jobs internally if we lose the NBA.’
In recent weeks, Barkley had hinted that he might be open to working for another network and admitted Friday that he had spoken to rivals before finally deciding to hang up the microphone.
It is, of course, the second retirement in Barkley’s illustrious life, after he enjoyed a 16-year playing career with the 76ers, Suns and Rockets.
In Phoenix, he was elected NBA Most Valuable Player in 1993 and is an 11-time All-Star.