Charles Barkley has cleared the air on his NBA media future — and he won’t be on the airwaves for much longer.
Barkley announced on NBA TV on Friday night after Game 4 of the Finals that the 2024-25 season will be his last on television.
Amid TNT’s uncertainty over whether it will carry NBA games past next season, Barkley said he will not be leaving the network but will instead retire from TV altogether.
“I have made the decision myself — no matter what happens — next year is going to be my last year on television,” Barkley said after adding that other networks have approached him.
Barkley, a Basketball Hall of Fame player, has become an icon as a media member over the last two decades thanks to his work as an analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” which is generally lauded as one of the best studio shows in sports.
After he retired as a player in 2000, he quickly became an “NBA on TNT” personality known for his humorous approach to talking about the sport.
But now, he believes when he hits the 25-year mark next season, it will be time to call it quits.
Amid all this, there are questions over whether Warner Bros. Discovery — the parent company of TNT — will lose the rights to televise NBA games after next season, which puts the future of “Inside the NBA” into question.
During Stanley Cup coverage this week, ESPN’s Steve Levy even pitched Barkley to join that network’s NBA coverage, but the TNT personality largely sidestepped the topic.
But, on Friday, Barkley said he’ll end his media career and look to hand over the “baton” to a replacement.
“I’m not going to another network, but I’ll pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you, Steve [Smith],” Barkley said.
Barkley also has worked on coverage for the men’s NCAA basketball tournament since 2011 on Warner Bros. Discovery-owned channels and CBS.