As Inside the NBA prepares its move from TNT to ESPN next season, the show’s biggest star is calling out the Worldwide Leader on the air.
Prior to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday, Charles Barkley took issue with ESPN’s coverage of the league’s superstar players. In particular, the Chuckster called out the network for trying to make Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards “the face of the NBA.”
“Hey ESPN, I love you guys. Don’t try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA. The face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joker, and Giannis. You can’t give it to people, they have to take it. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken it.”
-Charles Barkley calls out ESPN pic.twitter.com/TAadAEHGet
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 27, 2025
“Hey ESPN, I love you guys. Don’t try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA,” Barkley said. “The face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joker, and Giannis. You can’t give it to people, they have to take it. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken it.”
It’s not the first time Barkley has taken aim at the network that will house his show next season. In fact, he has a long history talking down the Disney-owned channel. More recently, the Hall of Famer called out the “clowns” at ESPN for the network’s coverage of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, earlier this week, Barkley did call it “an honor and a privilege” to appear on ESPN’s airwaves.
Whether Barkley will be willing to continue his criticisms of ESPN next season is something to watch. He wouldn’t be the first to criticize the network on its own air, Pat McAfee has done that plenty since licensing his show to the Worldwide Leader a couple of years ago. Given that McAfee is still on the air, it seems like ESPN is willing to take this collateral damage, so long as the superstar levying the criticism shines bright.
