After signing off TNT for the final time, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal are set to cover the NBA Finals for NBA TV.
The end of the Eastern Conference Finals last weekend also meant the end of the NBA on TNT. But after emotional goodbyes to what was a 35-year partnership between the NBA and TNT, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith have one more stop before taking Inside the NBA to ESPN next season.
Barkley joined SiriusXM NBA Radio hosts Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson to discuss the playoffs and preview the Finals. And during the interview, Barkley revealed he’s not on summer vacation yet, with his NBA Finals responsibilities still to come on NBA TV.
While ESPN on ABC will air the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers beginning this Thursday, NBA TV offers its own pre and postgame coverage. According to Barkley, he will be in Indiana working as a pre and postgame analyst for NBA TV alongside Grant Hill during Games 3 and 4, while O’Neal and Smith will be in Oklahoma City for Games 1 and 2.
NBA TV is owned by the NBA, but operated by TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. And considering WBD’s current NBA media rights deal extends through this season, NBA TV is still able to use Barkley, Shaq and Smith for its Finals coverage. Barkley, Shaq and Smith have joined NBA TV during the Finals for several years now, splitting their time to cover the series just as they will this season.
Last year, Charles Barkley caused an uproar on NBA TV by unexpectedly announcing his retirement from media after Game 4 of the Finals. One full year later, and much to nobody’s surprise, Barkley is very much not retired and has since confirmed plans to stick with Inside the NBA’s move to ESPN for at least two seasons.
