Chuck
06/15/2024 12:27 AM
The end of an era.
Long-time TNT analyst and beloved hoops personality Charles Barkley announced his decision to retire from broadcasting at the end of the 2024-25 season on a post-game panel with NBA TV on Friday.
“I just want to say thank you to my NBA family, you guys have been great to me, my heart is full of joy and gratitude,” Barkley said. “But I’m going to pass the baton at the end of next year.”
Barkley has been with TNT on their flagship show Inside the NBA since 2000, joining the network after he retired from his playing career.
TNT’s current contract with the NBA is set to expire after the 2024-25 season and a renewal seems unlikely, with ESPN, NBC and Amazon already being reported as the three main players in the league’s new TV deal worth $76 billion according to the Wall Street Journal.
The network’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is reportedly in negotiations to join in to secure a fourth media-rights package according to Front Office Sports, but it would be a significant downsizing to the current number of games that TNT has been broadcasting.
“I hope the NBA stays with TNT,” Barkley said on Friday. However, the Basketball Hall of Famer has been vocal in recent weeks about his disappointment with TNT management at their inability to remain in the game.
Regardless, Barkley and TNT have one season left on the air. The larger-than-life personality and beloved jokester will surely make it count.
