As the NBA postseason rolls on, Charles Barkley, the charismatic host of Inside the NBA, keeps the jokes flowing about his future at TNT.
With rumors swirling about the network losing its NBA broadcast rights, Charles Barkley finds himself in a playful limbo.
Recently, NBC swooped in and claimed the coveted spot as a broadcast partner with the league, displacing TNT. Barkley, never one to shy away from humor, hasn’t missed a beat in keeping the speculation alive.
During a guest stint on ESPN’s coverage of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, Barkley shared the limelight with Steve Levy, Mark Messier, and P.K. Subban on the intermission show. And naturally, Barkley’s job status took center stage. Levy even tried his hand at convincing Barkley to consider ESPN’s NBA coverage.
Barkley remained coy about his potential move to ESPN, neither confirming nor denying the possibility. However, given his track record of criticizing ESPN’s NBA coverage, the odds may not be in ESPN’s favor.
Yet, Barkley’s future remains uncertain as TNT’s broadcast deal approaches its end after the 2024-25 season. His trademark humor was on display once more as he wrapped up his guest appearance on the Stanley Cup broadcast, jokingly remarking, “Listen, I wish I had a job next year. I’m on LinkedIn. I put on my resume, they are like ‘You never had a real job’. I said that’s not my fault.”