Charles Barkley & Shaquille O'Neal have an incredibly entertaining friendship. Over the years, the pair have continued to poke fun at one another, prank one another, and even fight with one another. Most of the pair's shenanigans have taken place on the NBA on TNT set, something that will continue for years to come.
With the NBA season underway, fans eagerly tuned in to NBA on TNT earlier this week to see things kick off. Unsurprisingly, Charles Barkley & Shaquille O'Neal once again picked up right where they left off, having fun at one another's expense. The back and forth between the two men is something fans have both come to expect and come to love.
With the NBA on TNT crew winning countless TV awards over the years, it's no secret that TNT wanted to keep the group of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley & Shaquille O'Neal together. Recently, it was revealed that Charles Barkley had signed a new contract with TNT that could see him paid somewhere between $100-200 million dollars in the years to come.
In his words:
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
"Charles' new name is big buck chucks. Chucky toothbucks."
It's no surprise that Shaquille O'Neal had a thing or two to say about Barkley's fat contract. During a recent episode of The Big Podcast, O'Neal spoke about Barkley's new contract, giving his longtime friend & 'rival' a new nickname in the process.
Charles Barkley's new contract and the controversy surrounding it
Charles Barkley, of course, is still in the middle of his current contract with TNT. 'Sir' Charles currently has a reported three years left on his current contract that will see him earn an estimated $10 million a year. When the three-year deal is up going into the 2024-25 NBA season, Barkley's new ten-year deal will be in effect.
According to reports, the new contract is worth anywhere between $100 million and $200 million. Interestingly enough, the news of the contract comes on the heels of Barkley reportedly receiving a pretty hefty offer from LIV Golf to commentate their events. Although no amount was revealed, LIV had previously offered massive contracts to high-profile golfers and commentators.
After meeting with retired golfer Greg Norman, who serves as the CEO of LIV Golf, Barkley received considerable backlash. The way many have continued to see the LIV Golf tour is not in a particularly positive light, and as a result Barkley was put in a difficult spot. Shortly after news surfaced of his meeting with Norman, Charles Barkley chose to sever contract during ongoing negotiations.
Following that, it was TNT who reached out to Barkley about the whopping extension.
With the news of Barkley's extension now public, we want to hear from you! It has been over 20 years since Sir Charles joined Inside the NBA. Since then he has provided no shortage of entertainment, controversy, and of course... laughter. Drop your favorite Sir Charles moments in the comments section, and check out the video of some of his funniest moments down below!