For more than two decades, TNT’s Inside The NBA has been the gold standard for studio shows in the sports world. Ernie Johnson is well-regarded as a host, Kenny Smith provides nuanced analysis, and Shaquille O’Neal added a fantastic element to the program following his retirement as a player. With that said, the show revolves around Charles Barkley in many ways, with the Hall of Fame inductee providing top-shelf entertainment and the ability to say things that very few people would be able to say in public.
On Tuesday, Barkley made a few comments that could signal that the end of his two-decade reign on television could be nearing, including the notion that the end of his contract, with two years left, is “probably” going to be the end.
At the end of the call, Barkley was asked how much longer he'll continue to be a broadcaster. Barkley, 59, says he has 2 years left on his contract "and that's probably going to be it for me." ….
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 15, 2022
Within the same call, Barkley gave more context, saying that he doesn’t “want to die on TV” and noting that he will be 61 years old when his current contract expires.
“It’s been a great, great thing,” he said, via Brad Townsend. “I love Ernie, Kenny, Shaq and everybody we work with. But I just don’t feel the need to work until the day I die. I don’t, man. I’ll be 61 years old if I finish out my contract. And I don’t want to die on TV. I want to die on the golf course or somewhere fishing. I don’t want to be sitting inside over [by] fat-ass Shaq [waiting] to drop dead.”
TNT has already begun utilizing Draymond Green as a frequent contributor, and it makes sense that Green could follow in Barkley’s footsteps when he is done playing, whenever that way be. Still, no one can “replace” Barkley’s influence on the medium, and it will be very intriguing to see if he will indeed step away in two years — Shaq, for instance, has expressed some skepticism that Barkley is going to step away. If that happens, his on-air legacy is secure, but the next steps will be of great interest.
