Charles Barkley says he'll 'probably' retire from TNT at end of contract
Charles Barkley has long maintained that he doesn't want to work on the "Inside the NBA" set into old age.
On Tuesday he put a date on his retirement. "Probably."
Speaking on a conference call with reporters, Barkley was asked about how long he intends to keep working for TNT. Per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Barkley's planning on calling it quits when his contract runs out.
"And that's probably going to be it for me," Barkley said.
Per Townsend, Barkley said that his contract runs out in two years, which would be at the end of the 2023-24 season. According to Turner Sports, the deal Barkley and his TNT set mates Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal signed in 2015 actually runs through 2024-25. Either way, Barkley, who turns 59 on Sunday, said he'll be ready to be done.
"It's been a great, great thing," Barkley continued. "I love Ernie, Kenny, Shaq and everybody we work with. But I just don't feel the need to work until the day I die. I don't, man. I'll be 61 years old if I finish out my contract.
"And I don't want to die on TV. I want to die on the golf course or somewhere fishing. I don't want to be sitting inside over [by] fat-ass Shaq [waiting] to drop dead."
Does he mean it this time?
Barkley, who joined TNT in 2000, has missed previous retirement deadlines. He insisted he was leaning toward retirement before signing his deal in 2015 and has since said he might call it quits before the deal is up. Here he is still on the TNT set seven years later. He still genuinely seems to enjoy his work — and presumably the paychecks that come with it.
Count O'Neal among the skeptics of Barkley's ongoing retirement chatter.
“He’s never gonna quit,” O’Neal told the "Marchand and Ourand" podcast in November. “Charles is gonna be here forever. We need him, and he needs us. I’m convinced that if I’m retired and I don’t do nothing, I will falter away. This is what we do and what we live for. It’s what we’ve been doing, and we need each other.
“We keep each other going. Look, I’ve been here 11 years. I’ve heard that spiel before, but he’s gonna be here till the wheels fall off.”
Meanwhile, "Inside the NBA" remains the gold standard for sports studio shows even if the analysis sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. Fans tune in to be entertained, and Barkley and Co. consistently deliver.
Turner continues to invest in its next-generation studio crew featuring Candace Parker, Dwyane Wade and Adam Lefkoe, who host TNT's Tuesday NBA coverage. Meanwhile, Draymond Green shines as a guest analyst and appears to be lined up for a full-time role whenever he retires from the NBA — potentially as Barkley's heir.
So if Barkley is serious this time, TNT has the framework of a succession plan in place. But here's guessing Turner's not ready to let Barkley walk without a fight. And that may be just what Barkley wants.
