Charles Barkley Claims He's Retiring From Television
In 2024, Charles Barkley may be more well known as a television commentator than as a former NBA player. But if a late-night Friday announcement is to be believed, Barkley's days as an "Inside the NBA" icon might be over sooner rather than later.
After Game Four of the NBA Finals, which resulted in a resounding 122-84 victory for the Dallas Mavericks over the Boston Celtics, Barkley made a surprising announcement about his future.
"I've been thinking guys," Barkley said, "I want to say this, because you guys are my family. I really love TNT, all the people who work here, NBA television, you guys have been great to me for 24 years. I want to say thank you to my entire NBA family, I love you guys. There's been a lot of noise around our network the last few months."
"I just want to say, I've talked to all the other networks, but I ain't going nowhere other than TNT. But I have made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television. My heart is full of joy and gratitude, but I'm going to pass the baton at the end of next year. I hope the NBA stays with TNT but for me personally, I wanted you to hear it from me."
"I'm not doing any more interviews," he continued. "Don't y'all be calling, nobody call me, I'm not talking about this again. But I wanted to tell my NBA TV 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]. Next year I'm just going to retire after 25 years and I just wanted to say thank you, and I wanted you to hear it from me first."
SUWANEE, GEORGIA - JUNE 05: Charles Barkley attends 2024 Steve Harvey Charity Golf Classic at Bear's Best Atlanta on June 05, 2024 in Suwanee, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Charles Barkley Retirement Would Be A Blow For NBA Television
Barkley isn't shy in sharing his opinions, and though he may not always have the best opinions, he does generally have something interesting to say. Whether or not he actually follows through on the retirement claim remains to be seen; any other network would love to have him, if it's not TNT.
While NBA ratings have fallen substantially, even in the playoffs and Finals, "Inside the NBA" has remained popular, due in large part to Barkley.
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In a sport searching for ways to retain its relevance, losing one of its most popular and well known personalities would be a substantial blow.