The 2024 NBA postseason has been incredibly eventful but not just because of the developments that have taken place on the hardwood. As players have faced off in pursuit of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, the fate of a premier basketball-centric talk show has been in flux. It’s looking very likely that TNT’s Inside the NBA could be canceled after over 40 years on the air. All the while, fans have voiced support for the program, even sharing funny clips involving Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and co. While the co-hosts have mostly remained silent on the matter, Charles Barkley hasn’t been, as he’s shared some wild and brutally honest sentiments on the cancellation mess.
For those who aren’t aware, Warner Bros. Discovery (which is the parent company of TNT) only has one year left on its deal for the broadcast rights to the NBA. And, due to the current cost of the rights, the entertainment conglomerate likely won’t be able to shell out the cash for a renewal. That’s how NBC has been able to jump in and (in principle) grab one third of the rights. It’s not totally impossible for Warner to get back its piece of the pie and prevent the show from ending after the 2024-2025 season. But any hope of it happening seems to be dwindling. Regardless, the corporation has reportedly asked the hosts not to weigh in, though that hasn’t stopped Charles Barkley.
May 16 – Charles Barkley Gets Real About The Situation After Helping With A Network Pitch Alongside Shaq
In the middle of May, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal missed some time from the show to help with TNT Sports’ Upfront presentation in New York. It was during that time that they helped pitch ad buyers for the network. After the presentation, both spoke to DailyMail, with the news outlet looking to get the pair’s opinion on the possible cancellation. O’Neal expressed some light optimism about the situation, though Barkley wasn’t as bullish:
We don't know. I mean, it'd be sad [if the show ended]. We don't know. I hope it does [continue]. Not just for me and Kenny, Ernie, and Shaq, but for the real people who work there, it sucks right now to be stressful.
Those particular thoughts from the “Round Mound of Rebound” – who re-upped his Inside contract in 2022 and would become a free agent if it ends – were relatively tame. Said comments would also set the tone for the other sentiments he would later share on the matter. And, with his next round of comments, he would say much more than that the workplace atmosphere “sucks” amid the uncertainty.
May 23 - The NBA Veteran Makes A Crack About The Notion Of Being ‘Fired’ From TNT
The former NBA MVP eventually sat down for a chat with Sirius XM, during which he shared more thoughts. He didn’t mince words when speaking with co-hosts Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine. He re-emphasized just how much the situation “sucks” and expressed more concern about his co-workers aside from Shaq, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Ernie Johnson. Also, in his own humorous way, he explained why he doesn’t view this situation as him being “fired” from a job:
It just sucks right now for the people I work with. Man, it just sucks right now. There’s nothing I can say – I’m worried about all the people I work with. I just turned 61. I’ve got enough money. I don’t even look at it as getting fired, Frank. I say, ‘Damn, I get to play more golf?!’ People [ask me,] ‘What I am thinking right now?’ I’m like, ‘Please hurry, and get this Western Conference Finals over, because I can play golf every day for the next four months. … I love doing nothing.
The retired athlete does make true points in that he has plenty of money and, if he were to be out of a job, he could just spend his time playing golf. But make no mistake, as Charles Barkley isn’t keen on saying goodbye to the show that he’s long co-headlined. And, while he was quite direct during this interview, the comments don’t compare to the ones he shared while on another talk show.
May 23 – Charles Barkley Doesn’t Hold Back On The Cancellation And Calls Out The ‘Clowns’ Who Lost The Rights To The Show
“Sir Charles” was also a guest on The Dan Patrick Show and, when the eponymous host asked what the atmosphere at TNT was like, he declared that “morale sucks, plain and simple.” During the chat, which was shared to X, the star also addressed the powers that be and made a bold declaration about their decision-making:
These people I work with, they’ve screwed this thing up, clearly. And we don't have zero idea what's going to happen. I don't feel good, I'm not going to lie.
Amid the discussion, Dan Patrick made an observation, saying “You’re actually angry,” which prompted the former Phoenix Sun to say, “I am.” He went on to speak more to the limbo-like state that he and his colleagues currently find themselves in. And, to illustrate that, the former basketball player made a blunt analogy involving wine:
We're just sitting back waiting on these people to figure out what they're going to do. My two favorite wines are Inglenook and Opus, and these clowns I work for, they've turned us into Ripple and Boone's Farm and Thunderbird.
Tell us how you really feel. It should go without saying that those are truly pointed statements, and I’m not sure TNT or Warner Bros. Discovery were prepared for them. However, I’d think that what really caught both entities off guard was an impromptu interview that the sports legend took part in after a playoff game.
May 24 – The Media Personality Takes Part In An Unauthorized Interview Conducted In An Elevator
Before wrapping up for the 2024-2025 season, the Inside the NBA crew covered the Western Conference Finals from both Dallas and Minneapolis. The group was in the former city for Game 2, when they were approached by a reporter for the New York Times. At the time, Charles Barkley apparently ushered the interviewer into an elevator – alongside his colleagues – evading media relations officials in the process. While the others were apparently uneasy about the situation, Barkley had no problem speaking his piece. In doing so, he shared more thoughts on why the cancellation of Inside is a big deal:
It’s people’s lives. Not my life. Not Ernie’s life. Not Kenny’s life. Not Shaq’s life. But all the people who work here. We probably have 100 people who do work on the show. So they’re, like, real people. I’ve seen their kids born, graduate high school, graduate college.
Kenny Smith asserted that the journalist should’ve gone through the proper channels and that his co-star shouldn’t speak. In response, the Alabama native said, “Hey, man, I can talk to who I want to” and dropped an expletive. He also added the following sentiments:
I love my job. Been working with these people for 24 years, we have a lot of fun together. And we’re hoping it continues. We’re hoping, but we have no control over it.
According to The New York Post, as of this writing, the NBA is “closing in” on deals with ABC/ESPN, NBC and Amazon Prime Video for the broadcast rights. To put it mildly, the situation isn’t looking all that good for Inside the NBA right now. It would honestly be sad to no longer have the show that delivered moments like Charles Barkley getting pranked with a bucket of water or Shaq getting shoved into a Christmas tree. We’ll just have to wait and see how it turns out but, in the meantime, I wouldn’t be surprised if Barkley shares more honest opinions on this matter.
