While many NBA fans are hoping that the team of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith will continue as the faces of “Inside the NBA” after the 2024-25 season, Barkley officially brought an end to those hopes this week.
One of the biggest stories in the basketball world over the last month has been ongoing negotiations for the rights to broadcast NBA games after the 2024-25 season. For over 30 years, TNT has delivered NBA action around the country, and their pre and post-game show, “Inside the NBA” has become a beloved element of their basketball content. That could soon be coming to an end.
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Late last month, Disney (parent company of ESPN), NBC Universal, and Amazon Prime won the rights sweepstakes. It seemingly has brought the TNT era of NBA broadcasts to an end. Yet, recent reports have suggested the network’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is making a last-ditch effort to get back into the NBA business and keep “Inside the NBA” on TV after next season.
However, even if TNT does get content from the league after next season, the classic run of the show featuring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith will come to an end no matter what in 2025 when, after Game 4 of the Finals, Barkley shockingly revealed to NBATV that he is retiring from television work after the upcoming season.
“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said late on Friday night. “But I have made the decision that, 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 of joy and gratitude.”
The news will surely disappoint many basketball fans as the popular television team has become beloved figures in the sport over the last decade.
