The NBA is set to lose one of its most entertaining on-screen personalities, with Charles Barkley leaving the small screen at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. With ABC having the broadcast rights for the 2024 NBA Finals, Barkley announced that next year will be his final year as a full-time presence on television on the NBA TV postgame booth following the Dallas Mavericks' 122-84 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 4.

Amid all the hullabaloo surrounding TNT, and the NBA regarding its broadcast deal, Barkley has decided to squash all speculation regarding his future amid the possibility that he could land on another network.

“There's been a lot of noise around our network the last few months. I just want to say, I talked to all the other networks, but I ain't going nowhere other than TNT. But I have made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year is gonna be my last year on television,” Barkley said, via ClutchPoints Twitter (X).

Charles Barkley has been responsible for some of the most hilarious moments in his 24 years (to this point) of covering the NBA. But all good things must come to an end. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer could soon join his Inside the NBA colleague Ernie Johnson on the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame with all his contributions.

“I wanna say this because you guys are 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 just want to say thank you to my entire NBA family. I love you guys. My heart is full of joy and gratitude,” Barkley added.

The Chuckster wanted to deliver the news straight from the source to prevent further speculation. Charles Barkley will be staying with TNT in the final year of his television career, and he's looking forward to grooming a few other former players to take his place in the booth.

“But I want to tell my NBA TV and TNT family that I'm not going to another network. But I'm gonna pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter, or you Steve [Smith]. But next year Imma just retire after 25 years. And I just want to say thank you, and I wanted y'all to hear it from me first,” Barkley said.

Fans better make the most out of Charles Barkley's effortless yet unabashed brand of comedy as he enters his final year on television before he hangs up his broadcasting shoes for good.

The NBA world will miss Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley has been a staple on TNT's Inside the NBA ever since he retired from his playing career at the age of 36 years old back in 2000. It became evident rather quickly why Barkley had a long career on television waiting for him. He was very witty, he had a commanding voice, and perhaps most importantly, he knew how to entertain. He riffed off of Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith like he was a natural comedian, and later on, the addition of Shaquille O'Neal completed the ensemble by adding another comedic dynamic to the group.

Alas, Barkley's days on television seemed to be numbered from the moment TNT was rumored to be losing out to other networks as the NBA renegotiated its broadcasting deals. The league simply did not deem TNT's offer to be competitive to the ones Disney, Amazon, and NBC put on the table. Thus, the NBA will be leaving the network at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, barring an unforeseen twist in the tale.

Barkley's eventual departure from television will leave a huge void in the NBA. He was responsible for many classic moments on Inside the NBA that it's borderline unfathomable that he'll be out of the small screen come 2025.

Who could ever forget Charles Barkley's year to year whiffs on the classic “Who He Play For” segment on the show? What about the times Barkley hilariously made fun of a certain demographic of people from a certain city in the state of Texas? Fans will definitely miss some of Barkley's out of pocket moments on the show, like when he described physical contact during the game of basketball in a suggestive manner, or when he demonstrated how he consumes churros.

Whoever becomes Barkley's replacement will have huge shoes to fill. The Round Mound of Rebound oozed with charisma, and he was not afraid to spew out some incorrect takes on the air, leading to some hilarity. The NBA world will definitely miss Barkley.