Charles Barkley drops bombshell on Ernie Johnson’s future with TNT: “He’s caught with the idea of leaving”

Last summer, Charles Barkley and the rest of the "Inside the NBA" crew inked new contracts to stay together. While many have worried about the Hall of Fame forward retiring, it's someone else they should be worrying about.

Over the years, Charles Barkley has been open about retirement and what's next for him. Despite these thoughts, he's opted to stick with Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson moving forward. Barkley recently stated that another host might be closer to walking away than he is.

During a recent appearance on the "SI Media" podcast, Barkley touched on his fellow TNT co-host. He stated that Johnson is the main person fans should be concerned about stepping away in the near future.

"You know, Ernie's the one guy we probably have to worry about more than anybody walking away," Barkley said. "He's caught with the idea of leaving in the next couple of years also. So like I say it's going to be very interesting the next couple of years because nobody knows."

Over the years, "Inside the NBA" has become an award-winning program with its in-depth analysis and witty banter among its hosts.

Charles Barkley talks about his own retirement

Before getting into his co-host Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley touched on his own journey as a sports broadcaster. He also set the record straight regarding his current contract with "Inside the NBA."

When it came out that all four hosts got new deals, the reporting stated that the Phoenix Suns legend got a 10-year contract. Barkley confirmed this, but also stated he likely won't be doing it for that long. The two sides came to an agreement of that length to assure fans that he wasn't stepping away anytime soon.

In the interview, Barkley was open about his thoughts on retirement. For him, it's all about walking away at the right time. He does not want to be someone who lingers around longer than they should.

"They wanted me to let people know I wasn't leaving like next week," Barkley said. "There's no chance in hell I'm going to be working when I'm 70. Zero."

"I'll be honest with you, that's the only thing that keeps me up at night. Trying to figure out when's the best time to walk away. Because the one thing you don't want to do is stay too long."

When he discussed Johnson's retirement, Barkley mentioned that he has about two more years left in him.