Recently, NBA Hall of Famer and television broadcaster Charles Barkley announced that he would be staying with Turner Sports for the duration of his contract despite the NBA signing a new television deal to move their coverage away from TNT after 2025. Many correctly assessed that Barkley's retirement announcement less than two months ago was probably more of a negotiating than a legitimate decision, and now, the Round Mound of Rebound may be forced to cover other sports if TNT does indeed lose its NBA rights.
Barkley has since gone on the record as saying the main reason he chose to stay with the network was so that other people in less privileged positions behind the camera would be able to keep their jobs, and now, the former NBA MVP is detailing just how much money he left on the table from other networks in order to stay at TNT during a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
“A minimum of $100 million, a minimum,” said Barkley, when asked how much money he potentially missed out on.
“It was a great feeling, and I want to thank all of those networks for reaching out to me, it was really humbling and cool,” said Barkley. “It was really humbling and cool to be honest with you… even though they were throwing crazy numbers I was like damn. But as long as I got my people safe at TNT I feel really good. Like I said, they’re going to pay me to go and talk about nothing so I can’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
An iconic legacy
Although he isn't the first person who has done it, perhaps no iconic sports figure has made a more successful transition into the television realm than Charles Barkley. A lot of Barkley's appeal comes from his willingness to “keep it real” with viewers, even if it comes at the expense of actual basketball analysis on TNT's hit show “Inside The NBA,” an idea the program's producers actively mock in the segment “Who He Play For?” in which Barkley incorrectly guesses which team NBA roles players suit up for.
Despite Barkley's commitment, the future of “Inside The NBA” is still very much in doubt as a lawsuit currently hangs in the balance regarding the NBA's future television rights. One thing we know for sure is that the program will be on the air at least through the 2024-25 season.
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