Charles Barkley has additional defined his determination to retire from TV on the finish of the 2024-25 season, explaining that he desires to remain loyal to TNT and Warner Bros. Discovery.
“I wouldn’t really feel snug going to work for one more community,” Barkley mentioned on CNBC. “It’ll be 25 years that I’ve been working with Turner, and I really like everyone at Turner. However at this age, to go over and begin over, I don’t know if I wish to do this.”
The NBA finalized media rights offers with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Amazon on Wednesday, and a few started to invest that Barkley may very well be a part of a bidding battle from all three firms.
However cash isn’t one thing that can entice Chuck.
“Hey, if I don’t come up with the money for by now, I’m the most important fool, idiot on this planet,” Barkley mentioned. “And, hey, significantly, if I don’t come up with the money for by now, I’ve been so fortunate and blessed. I performed within the NBA for 15 years. I’ve been on tv for twenty-four years. If I don’t come up with the money for by now, I’m the most important loser on this planet.”
Little question the murky way forward for TNT made up a part of Barkley’s determination.
“I actually really feel dangerous for everyone at TNT — all of the folks I’ve been working with for the final 24 years, they’re like household to me,” Barkley mentioned. “I actually, in my coronary heart, I feel we now have misplaced the package deal. That is my trustworthy opinion. However I actually hope we get a last-minute reprieve for the folks at Turner.”
TNT nonetheless has the chance to match the contracts, The Athletic reported.
“The CEO of TNT Sports activities’ guardian firm, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, has publicly acknowledged he might try to make use of language within the present contract to stay concerned with the NBA,” The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported.
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