ESPN is slated to license Inside the NBA from TNT Sports starting in the fall. That will bring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Co. to the Worldwide Leader each NBA season for the foreseeable future.
To hear Barkley tell it, the details of that situation are far from etched in stone.
In an appearance on the SI Media with Jimmy Traina podcast, Barkley revealed that even he doesn’t know what his schedule will be under the new arrangement.
One thing is for sure, though: Barkley is not doing the ESPN “car wash” of studio talk shows. So don’t expect him to duel it out with Stephen A. Smith in New York City anytime soon.
“The ESPN, ABC schedule, I don’t think it’s gonna be crazy. But we’re not doing all those other damn shows, I want to make that perfectly clear,” Barkley said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to work for ESPN, but I’m not gonna be going on First Take, Get Up, SportsCenter, Pat McAfee. That sh*t’s not going to happen. That was my first gripe.”
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As a result, Barkley is still in active talks with TNT executives about his role. The Basketball Hall of Famer revealed that the Inside crew is shooting a pilot episode of the rumored general sports talk show TNT wants them to do this week.
“I said, are we going to be working for ESPN, ABC, and TNT? That’s going to double our workload, it’s not going to happen,” Barkley said.
Barkley still has no concept of the focus of the Inside Sports-type show or when it would air. Nobody doubts that the Inside guys can make great TV by shooting the breeze. Still, having so little information about a monumental professional change would be frustrating.
All that change has led Barkley to tell TNT (for now) that he only wants to work two more years of the seven remaining on his contract. However, Barkley’s impending retirement has been a moving target for years, to say the least.
It will be a while before we know when Charles Barkley will be on TV in the fall, but one thing is for certain: He won’t be on ESPN’s midday lineup.
