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Charles Barkley Blasts TNT’s Future Inside the NBA Plans

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ryan White | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 5:40 PM ET

With the NBA Conference Finals coming to an end, TNT’s NBA broadcast era has concluded.

Starting next season, the NBA’s media rights will belong to ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Amazon Prime. The studio show "Inside the NBA" (with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, and Charles Barkley) will continue on ESPN and ABC.

“We’re probably going to work on ESPN one-third or half the time,” Barkley recently said on the Dan Patrick Show. “But they’re trying to do something stupid at TNT. Which is a stupid idea for a couple reasons. No. 1, we won’t have basketball highlights. But also, we’re probably gonna be going up against an NBA game. And anybody who likes basketball, they’re not gonna say, ‘Hey, you know what? Let me turn off an NBA game on Amazon, ESPN, or NBC to go watch these four dudes sit around and talk about nothing.”

Charles Barkley says 'Inside the NBA' taped a pilot for what the show will look like on TNT without any NBA rights.

"We won't have basketball highlights... We taped a pilot about a month ago, and it was the stupidest s--t I've ever seen in my life."pic.twitter.com/9irYALNud0
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 2, 2025

While the crew is staying intact on a different network, they are still under contract with TNT and the company is looking for ways to still utilize the iconic group. According to Barkley, it hasn’t gone too well so far.

“TNT is trying to do something stupid behind the scenes,” Barkley said. “We taped a pilot about a month ago, and it was the stupidest sh*t I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Inside the NBA thrives on game highlights and the hosts’ chemistry, but without NBA footage, it’s going to be extremely difficult to replicate their legendary times together on TNT.

Barkley clearly didn’t like the idea and to TNT’s credit, neither did they after their first practice episode.

“They did say it was an awful pilot,” he said. “But, I guess they want to feel like they’re doing something to make us earn our money from TNT.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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