Charles Barkley drops bombshell on future as NBA analyst

Charley Barkley, who has been a vital part of the "Inside the NBA" crew for over a decade, announced that he will not be joining NBC or Amazon. Speaking on "The Steam Room" on Tuesday, Barkley said that his heart will always be with Turner Sports, which has been producing the show.

"I'm informing NBC that I will not accept their offer," Barkley said. "I'm gonna cancel future meetings with Amazon. My heart is always and will be at Turner Sports."

Barkley added that he met with NBC but would be canceling his meeting with Amazon as he emphasized that his workload would remain a top priority in negotiations as an NBA analyst.

“As I’ve said, it’s all going to be dictated by my work load. I’m not going to work more as I get older,” Barkley said. “And that is my only decision moving forward — how much I’m going to work.”

The announcement means that there is a high likelihood that Barkley will stay with the TNT-produced "Inside The NBA" as it airs on ESPN next season.

However, the former NBA superstar pointed out that he still needs to know how his workload will be with TNT and ESPN to move further in their negotiations.

“I’m hoping that this thing come together and I can stay with TNT and ESPN,” Barkley said. “I have great friends and mentors. I’m going to sit down with those guys and say that this is what TNT and ESPN is offering me as far as the workload.”

Barkley has been an NBA analyst since 2000 for TNT, appearing in pregame and postgame shows produced by the company. He gained popularity as an analyst with "Inside the NBA" alongside Ernie Johnson Jr., Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal.

In his 25 years with TNT, Barkley has also been recognized by Sports Emmy Awards as an outstanding studio analyst five times.

Charles Barkley once intended to retire from NBA broadcasting after the 2024-2025 season

Just a few months ago, Charles Barkley had different plans about his broadcasting career. Barkley said during the 2024 NBA Finals in June that he intended to retire after the 2025 NBA season.

“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT. But I have made the decision that no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television,” Barkley said.

He said that he was willing to pass his broadcasting to other former NBA players such as Jamal Crawford, Vince Carter, and Steve Smith, who were all starting their brodcasting careers.

“I wanted to tell my NBATV and TNT family that I’m not going to another network, but I’m going to pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you Steve (Smith),” he added.

However, he seemingly changed his mind after it was announced that Inside The NBA, still produced by TNT sports, will be moving to ESPN next season.

As nothing is set in stone so far, Barkley could still choose to retire from NBA broadcasting, ending what has been an impressive 25-year as an analyst.