Charles Barkley has garnered quite the reputation amid his decades-long broadcasting career. He can dish out thoughtful takes on the biggest developments in the world of professional sports, but he’s also known to be a bit of a loose cannon at times. “Sir Charles” is known to say wild things (both on and off camera), and his co-workers at TNT are surely aware of that. As Barkley continues to share his blunt opinions on Inside the NBA, it would seem his colleagues are concerned about something he does when he’s not on the air.
When he’s not on chopping it up with the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and more on Inside, the “Chuckster” is known to participate in a few extracurricular activities. That includes paying visits to The Dan Patrick Show, where he regales the eponymous host with stories. Additionally, the former hall of famer also weighs in on some of the biggest topics of the day, and he doesn’t hold back at times. Adam Lefkoe just appeared on Patrick’s show, where he discussed the network’s thoughts on Chuck’s frequent visits to the show:
There’s a chill that goes through the halls of TNT when we get an alert that says, ‘Charles Barkley on The Dan Patrick Show today.’ And I just want to know, is this like The Manchurian Candidate? Do you have a little node in the back of his brain, where you get him to say anything? What have you done to this man? How have you controlled his brain?
Adam Lefkoe’s demeanor during the chat, which is on YouTube, seems to be somewhat jokey. However, I still get the sense that there are some at TNT that express true concern when they know the former Phoenix Sun is going to appear on the talk show. Such trepidation is understandable, considering the player-turned-broadcaster’s past appearances. When he’s been on the show, he’s discussed a wide range of topics, from his gambling habits to the details of his future with Inside the NBA. The contract talk and other business talk is probably what would concern the network the most.
When it comes to the reason for Charles Barkley’s apparent willingness to be so open with Dan Patrick, the host discussed that with Adam Lefkoe. Patrick explained that he conducted an interview with Barkley during his playing day and that they’ve been close ever since. Patrick went on to shed further light on the dynamics of his conversations with the Round Mound of Rebound:
It always feels like — like that’s our normal conversation. If I’m around Reggie Miller, that’d be a normal conversation. Around Charles, normal conversation. So all I try to do is bring normalcy to something that isn’t normal, and that’s an interview over Zoom, and Charles falls for it every time.
Throughout 2024, Charles Barkley was particularly vocal about Inside the NBA, which seemed to be headed for cancellation. Said development was due to TNT’s parent company (Warner Bros Discovery) seemingly being outbid for the broadcast rights to the NBA. After that, Barkley publicly criticized his employers for not getting a deal done and, at one point, he even pulled a journalist into an elevator for an unauthorized interview to discuss the matter. Eventually, WBD and ESPN reached a licensing agreement for the show.
Chances are that Dan Patrick will continue to have conversations with good buddy Charles Barkley for the foreseeable future. With that, TNT will just have to watch closely as one of its brightest stars continues to speak his mind. The powers that be could, of course, impose some kind of rules but, as long as Barkley and Patrick’s chats don’t get too off the rails, I’d theorize that execs won’t have major issues. Plus, as Barkley himself said on air, after the ESPN deal, he’s “gotta go back to kissing ass.”
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