Charles Barkely had harsh words for the NBA after a decision from the league.
Charles Barkley was not happy with the latest about the NBA’s broadcasting rights, issuing a statement about the decision on Friday morning.
The NBA recently announced that the media rights will belong to Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon Prime Video beginning in 2025. Warner Bros. Discovery (the parent company of Turner Sports) made an effort to match the offer, but it was denied.
This is a massive statement from Barkley, who pointed the blame toward the league instead of his employer.
He previously said the following, blaming his bosses for botching these conversations as recently as just a couple of months ago:
“I think the first thing is, they came out and said we didn’t need the NBA,” said Barkley. “So I think that probably pissed [commissioner] Adam [Silver] off. I don’t know that, but when we merged, that’s the first thing our boss said. ‘We don’t need the NBA.’ Well, he don’t need it, but the rest of the people, me, Kenny, Ernie, Shaq and the rest of the people who work there, we need it.”
Now, it sure sounds like Barkley is arguing that the NBA and Adam Silver were not bargaining in good faith and never had any intentions of retaining rights with Turner Sports. The company said that it has taken legal action in response and a lawsuit was filed against the league.
“A little tired, a little hungover, but I kept battling.”
STATELINE, Nev. — Charles Barkley and the American Century Championship: the gift that keeps on giving.
Barkley finished in 58th place with minus-4 points, making winners of everyone who bet he would finish in the top 75 this year. In fact, it was his best finish at the event. He had positive points after the opening round for the first time.
“It feels really good. I put a lot of time and effort in,” Barkley said. “I’ve been working hard for the last few years. The last couple of years actually haven’t been bad. I had a shot at it.”
Barkley was proud he recovered after a rough start to Sunday’s round.
But he admitted there might have been a reason he was sluggish to start the round.
“A little tired, a little hungover, but I kept battling,” he said. “But I played really, really well the first two days, but this probably was my best day because I didn’t have any good stuff going early but I kept battling. I’m really proud about today’s round because, like I say, I started out struggling and I found a way to get it together. But I played great the first two days.”
Mardy Fish captured the title on Sunday at Edgewood Tahoe with 83 points. Joe Pavelski was second with 79 points while Annika Sorenstam was third with 68.
The ACC set an attendance record of 77,049 fans over the week.
STATELINE, Nev. — After finishing second last year in a thrilling duel, Mardy Fish might have had a small chip on his shoulder.
But Fish is known for handling his emotions well, as well as having a dry, sarcastic sense of humor.
He made up for last year’s disappointing second-place finish by capturing the title on Sunday in the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe.
He finished with 83 points in the Modified Stableford scoring system, after scoring 26 on Sunday, following a blistering tournament-record 34 points on Saturday.
Joe Pavelski was hot on his heels all week and finished second with 79 points. Annika Sorenstam was third with 68 and John Smoltz finished fourth with 64.
Fish won $150,000 for first place, an increase over previous payouts. Last year Curry won $125,000. Fish’s score was one point off the tournament record of 84 set by Billy Joe Tolliver in 2010.
Fish joked when asked what he would do with the money.
“I mean, I got bills to pay, man. I live in Los Angeles. I have two kids right there that are very expensive,” he said, smiling and pointing to his two children in the media room Sunday. “It kind of shows where the tournament’s going and where it’s headed and continuing to sort of grow the American Century Championship throughout.”
Fish also won the ACC in 2020, when no spectators were allowed at Edgewood. His entire payday that yer was donated to charities around Lake Tahoe.
The start of Sunday’s third round was delayed about a half hour due to rain around Lake Tahoe.
Fish said that delay did not affect him.
“No big deal. “It gives you time to go mingle with your buddies you haven’t seen. I saw Larry Fitz (Fitzgerald), he was coming off No. 9, going to 10. And we were just about to tee off — first time I’d seen him all week. We’re good buddies; he’s a Minnesota boy and so am I,” Fish said. “I was texting with Travis Kelce all week. And he’s, I’m going to find you tomorrow, period. And we had the delay. So you get to kind of see those people that — I don’t see those guys very often other than here or maybe Orlando or something like that.”
Pavelski has announced he will retire from hockey, He played for the San Jose Sharks and then the Dallas Stars.
Having that time off could help his already solid golf game though.
“This is my best showing. I think if I could replicate this here the next few years, if we get the opportunity, hopefully we have a chance to lift that trophy like Fish is doing,” Pavelski said. “Golf is a game I love. Definitely going to be playing, practicing, trying to get a little better at it. But you get in a tournament you never know how fully it’s going to play out.”
The ACC set an attendance record of 77,049 fans over the week.
Charles Barkley has plenty of options if he wants to stick around
Charles Barkley is one of the few television personalities whose illustrious Hall of Fame-caliber career in his individual sport somehow ended up overshadowed (even if ever-so-slightly) by his career on TV. That’s how transcendent Barkley’s time on Inside the NBA has been.
The timing was especially strange considering that Turner Sports is negotiating with the NBA to potentially keep some portion of the league’s broadcast on the network. He’s voiced his frustrations with the negotiations and seemed to have still been all-in on Inside the NBA and his crew.
Barkley would undoubtedly be a huge part of Turner’s pitch to the NBA, and now, theoretically, he’s not there anymore. So where do things go from here? Is Barkley seriously even retiring?
We can only take him at his word for it. But, if he doesn’t retire, he’ll surely have more than a few options for his next move.
Let’s talk about a few of them here.
Amazon Prime
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
This is the move that everyone thinks Barkley could end up making, even if he does retire.
Amazon is reportedly one of the entities getting a piece of the NBA’s broadcast rights in the league’s next television deal. The negotiated deal would be between $1.8 billion and $2 billion, according to the Sports Business Journal.
It’s not unfounded to think that Amazon would try and poach Barkley in this scenario. The company reportedly offered Al Michaels a 3-year, $45 million contract to call its Thursday Night Football games. You could easily see Barkley getting a deal of that caliber to do a pre-game or post-game show on whatever Amazon’s NBA broadcast would be called.
NBC Sports
This is the NBC peacock logo. (NBC)
It’s hard to envision Charles Barkley at NBC. Just take a look at the brand’s broadcasts — they’re always so buttoned up and refined.
Charles Barkley tends to be the complete opposite. The guy is a talker. One second, he might be pouring his heart out for the league’s head coaches after he feels like they got a raw deal. The next, he might be completely roasting one of his co-hosts for an opinion he doesn’t agree with. You never know what you’ll get with Chuck — that’s the beauty of having him on a broadcast.
Despite the oil and water feel here, you can bet NBC would throw a bag at Barkley to get him on its airwaves talking about the NBA.
But money talks, folks! He’s reportedly already been in contact with the company (as well as both Amazon and NBC), according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. There seems to have been some interest there.
Marchand proposed an interesting “sweetheart deal” that would appease both sides:
A sweetheart deal for Barkley to do the opening night of the regular season and then the playoffs would be a win-win for everyone. Barkley would not have to work as hard and would continue to make millions while gracing the ESPN studio shows, lifting them up during the biggest games of the season, including the finals.
That’s a best-of-both-worlds scenario. Barkley wouldn’t need to work as hard as other ESPN personalities who are on multiple shows multiple times per day. But he’d also still maintain his standing as the premiere face of NBA programming for the sport’s biggest moments. Plus, he’d be out of the clutches of ESPN’s competitors.
Inside the NBA on TNT
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner Sports)
If Barkley reverses his decision and decides not to retire, it feels like the chances are high that he’d stick with Turner Sports at this point with or without the NBA.
Remember, Turner is still negotiating with the NBA and could potentially strike a deal with the league as its fourth broadcast rights holder. If that happens, the Inside the NBA should remain intact in one way or another. And that would mean there’s a chance Barkley gets to stay with his crew.
But even if it doesn’t, Barkley is still a key contributor in other moments for TNT, including its NCAA Tournament coverage in March. He’d still stick around for that.
None of this is set in stone at this point. There’s still plenty for all of these parties to figure out. But, when it comes down to it, Charles Barkley still has plenty of options available. It all just depends on what he wants to do.
Could he be considered a possible golf analyst? He’s certainly got the connections.
When contract talks between basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and TNT stalled a bit in 2022 there was talk that LIV Golf considered bringing Barkley in as a golf analyst.
The “Inside the NBA” star said after Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday that next season will be his last with the program – and that after the 2024-25 season he will be done with NBA television in its entirety.
Barkley has not been afraid to share his perspective as TNT’s parent company has tried to retain its ability to broadcast NBA games beyond next season. According to multiple reports, ESPN, Amazon and NBC are primed to be the rightsholders in the league’s next broadcast contract.
“There’s been a lot of noise around our network the last few months. And I just want to say – I’ve talked to all the other networks, but I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said. “But I have made the decision myself. No matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television. And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude.”
Barkley said he wants to “pass the baton” to another generation of analysts, such as Vince Carter and Jamal Crawford, at the end of next season. He also said that he was done giving interviews about his future prospects.
“No, they haven’t offered me anything,” Barkley told Golfweek after walking off the 18th green at a 2022 LIV Golf pro-am at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. “My number one priority is Turner, and I’m not gonna keep Turner in limbo. So that’s my priority.”
“They’ve given me everything I have,” Barkley said at the time.
Former NBA player Charles Barkley hits a tee shot during the LIV Invitational Pro-Am at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
No stranger to celebrity and pro-am events, Barkley has been a unifying force, appearing on TNT’s “The Match” and showing up at both PGA Tour and LIV Golf events. Could he be considered a possible golf analyst? He’s certainly got the connections.
“I’ve got friends on both tours, it was great to see some of my friends I haven’t seen in a minute like Brooks, Bryson, Pat Perez, I wish these guys great success,” Barkley explained. “I’m gonna support LIV, I’m gonna support the PGA Tour. But like I say, as of now, I don’t know anything. I haven’t been asked anything. I wish I could give somebody an answer, but I don’t know anything.”
Barkley, who has made it known he enjoys playing, watching and commentating on golf, has impressed those in the game with his attention to detail.
“I had dinner with him,” said Stan Utley, who captured the PGA Tour’s 1989 Chattanooga Classic. “I asked him this question, I said, ‘Do you work harder at golf than you did basketball?’ and he said, ‘Absolutely.’ I really don’t think people realize how much he loves golf and how much time he spends playing and practicing. I really do think he practices a lot.”
The Charles Barkley farewell tour begins now as the legend announced his retirement after next year.
The bidding war over Charles Barkley’s services on television is over, thanks to … Charles Barkley.
That’s because the Hall of Famer and all-time great on the air announced on Friday night that next year would be his last on the air.
“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT, but I have made the decision the myself. No matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television,” he said on NBA TV.
He added he won’t do interviews about this, but he wanted to pass the baton to Vince Carter or Jamal Crawford — who are both terrific on the air — and he sounded grateful for everything.
🚨 Charles Barkley: "I ain't going nowhere other than TNT. But, I have made the decision the myself- no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television… I'm not going to another network… Next year, I'm going to just retire after 25 years." 🚨 pic.twitter.com/E966rKo7X4
Hall of Fame player. Beyond worthy of Hall of Fame as a broadcaster. Have not known the NBA in my lifetime w/o Chuck. Don’t really want to https://t.co/bLMEUaPe5l
Charles Barkley, one of the Greatest TV Personalities we have ever seen, is retiring after next year,
“I have talked to all the other networks, but I ain’t going no where other than TNT. I have made the decision myself….next year is going to be my last year on television.”
Well, Barkley might’ve had a little too much fun during an appearance on Hockey Night in Canada while being interviewed.
The Inside the NBA co-host accidentally dropped an f-bomb during the broadcast while discussing him picking the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup. He quickly apologized, but it still made for every funny television.
Sure, an accidental f-bomb is not great for the Sportsnet broadcast, but it was an absolute delight to all of those at home who had no idea Barkley was about to swear on live television.
While we can’t advise anyone to follow in Barkley’s footsteps during their own Stanley Cup interview one day, we did enjoy this clip immensely.
Charles Barkley talking hockey during the Stanley Cup is as good as you’d hope.
When you think about Stanley Cup coverage, you usually don’t think about Charles Barkley.
However, the former NBA player-turned-broadcaster made a surprise appearance during coverage of Monday’s Game 2 against the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
Barkley appeared alongside P.K. Subban, Steve Levy and Mark Messier during one of ABC’s period breaks to talk about the game and have some fun in the process with the three NHL media personalities.
During Barkley’s appearance, he told a very funny story about how Messier “owes” him $5,000 and trolled his Inside the NBA pal Shaquille O’Neal on how Barkley prefers hanging out with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
ESPN has Charles Barkley giving better analysis on hockey during this intermission break than anyone on their halftime show discussing basketball during the NBA Finals.
Charles Barkley’s harsh words for TNT has seemingly kept other panelists from speaking out amid NBA rights negotiations
Charles Barkley’s very public crusade against Warner Bros. Discovery seemingly screwing up the rights to broadcast the NBA seems to have caused a bit of internal strife among his fellow “Inside The NBA” panelists.
When we last had an opportunity to hear Chuck unfiltered, Barkley went on the “Dan Patrick Show” and pretty ruthlessly tore into WBD CEO David Zaslav for potentially costing TNT the rights to NBA broadcasts and the future of “Inside The NBA” along with it — though he didn’t mention Zaslav by name, instead referring to the “clowns” running the company.
New York Times reporter Tania Ganguli went to follow up with Barkley and take the pulse of the show in Minnesota during the Western Conference Finals this week, only to be met with, shall we say, less than friendly reactions from the rest of the “Inside The NBA” panel.
Per the NYT:
Kenny Smith, Barkley’s on-screen foil, voiced his irritation. But Barkley, as he has done throughout his decades in the public eye, made clear that he wouldn’t be muzzled.
“Hey man, I can talk to who I want to,” Barkley said to Smith, using an expletive. Others in the elevator shifted uncomfortably.
“You should do that out there,” Smith said, suggesting the interview be done outside the elevator.
Barkley turned to me: “Don’t worry about him.”
“She should clear it through Turner,” Smith said. “She should do it the right way.”
Though, according to Barkley, his contract allows him to leave Turner if WBD loses NBA rights, he’s never needed a specific clause to let him speak his mind.
We know from his previous comments — and his thoughts in Ganguli’s story — that Barkley is mostly concerned for the rest of the NBA on TNT crew. The behind the scenes people who lift the show higher than even the panel can.
Yet all that has done inside the show is create a bit more tension.
Again, per Ganguli:
Before the pregame show on Friday, [Shaquille] O’Neal sat courtside and chatted with passers-by. Asked for an interview, he grinned and said, “We aren’t allowed to talk ever since Chuck’s outburst.” He might have been joking, though a public relations official with TNT said later that the cast had not been asked not to speak.
Approached for an interview, [Ernie] Johnson pointed me to the public relations team. TNT had declined to arrange interviews with its talent for this article. After the game, Johnson interrupted the interview with Barkley as he left the elevator to castigate me for approaching him without permission from the company.
When asked about LeBron James and Charles Barkley defending Clark against perceived pettiness toward her arrival in the league, Wilson took the high road and brushed off the fervor with a focus on the tasks ahead for her own team.
“It’s noise that I don’t really listen to, honestly, because I’m in season,” Wilson told USA TODAY Sports. “I have other things that we need to worry about than what other people have to say.”
A'ja Wilson responds to Charles Barkley and LeBron James calling out the WNBA for being “petty” towards Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/vHCnVpwDRY
Most of the hubbub about Clark’s WNBA start seems to be coming from outside of the league, as the Iowa legend seems to have been welcomed as any rookie typically is by opponents.
Other teams don’t roll out the red carpet for you when you play at their place, and veterans typically assert their dominance when playing rookies as a competitive welcome to the league.
Clark’s arrival might come with much more pomp and circumstance, but other players like Wilson seem to be much more concerned on the right things than, as she put it, the outside noise about things that don’t concern them.
