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Many fans feared that the beloved "Inside the NBA" would see its end after the NBA and TNT parted ways.
But after a settlement between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT, it was announced in July that the award-winning show will continue to air on ESPN and ABC starting next season.
One of the hosts, NBA legend Charles Barkley, however, has said he's not willing to work with ESPN because "they’re gonna work me like a dog.”
In a recent episode of the "Dan Patrick Show," Barkley seemingly doubled down on his remark and revealed that he's listening to offers from other networks.
"I haven't decided yet," said the Hall of Fame forward. "I'm listening to NBA and Amazon. I want to know everything that's on the table for me before I sign in.
"I love those guys at ESPN, and if we end up there, I'm gonna do the best I possibly can."
He added that ESPN hasn't given them "any type of schedule." He also mentioned that he's already met with NBC and Amazon.
At 61 years old, Barkley stressed that a clear-cut schedule is one of his primary concerns.
"Like I said, I love ESPN, I got nothing against them, but I want to know how much I'm gonna be working," added the former MVP.
"I want it in writing. How much y'all think I'm going to work?"
Barkley has been an indispensable part of "Inside the NBA" since joining the show in 2000. It also currently features co-hosts Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal. It has won 19 Sports Emmy trophies.
More must-reads:
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- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Knicks May Have New Hidden Gem
The New York Knicks have provided the NBA viewing audience with a seemingly-never ending flood of headlines. They fired their old coach before bringing in a new one, solidified themselves as candidates for some of the more intriguing free agents out there and, most recently, locked in more of their core for the long haul. They've earned the honorable distinction as contenders, a position they've longed to hold entering a season. As much as they've done to add to their impressive finish in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals, one of their more subtle signings is already viewed as one of the most indicative of their successful summer. Guerschon Yabusele was named by Bleacher Report's Dan Favale as the team's hidden gem just a month after signing to his new team. He's one of the hired guns that New York brought in during free agency to bolster their once-thin bench, having proven himself in last season's return to the NBA. "Putting down 38 percent of his threes on more than five attempts per 36 minutes elevated Yabusele's profile more than anything," Favale wrote. "There's some question whether it's for real, but the outside improvement dates back to his time with Real Madrid. "His ancillary scoring layers are the real gems. He can effectively attack closeouts (62.7 percent shooting on drives), get in-between buckets after setting and slipping screens, leak out in transition (1.49 points per possession) and also has some dead-stop creation in his arsenal." Favale points out how Yabusele doesn't quite fit into the list's overall theme, which generally covers end-of-the-bench prospects waiting for their breakout opportunity. Yabusele is only entering his fourth NBA season, but that fails to account for the five-year hiatus the 29-year-old embarked on after his first two underwhelming seasons. Now that he's returned to the league, he's ready to contribute as a shooter and scorer from the front court, a good complement to their defensively-tilted forwards and a decent bet to frighten opposing defensive units alongside fellow sniper Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks' getting Yabusele for cheap also opened up a little money for the rest of their offseason, which they continue benefitting from over a month after inking the deal.
Brewers issue update on Jackson Chourio rehab timeline
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was tearing it up in July before he strained his hamstring legging out a triple. He was placed on the injured list, and it only got worse from there. Less than 24 hours later, manager Pat Murphy said Chourio would be out beyond the 10-day minimum and possibly at least a month. On Saturday, beat reporter Curt Hogg shed another tidbit of light on the slugger’s timetable. It’s not necessarily worse news, but Hogg’s update probably does not illuminate much. Fans already knew Chourio was going to be out a while after Friday’s report, so this latest info isn’t surprising. It isn’t all that encouraging, either. It certainly suggests no expedited return schedule. Not to make assumptions, but the emphasis on the location of the damage versus evaluating its severity seems to indicate the Brewers are just hoping Chourio avoided a worse-case scenario. In that case, caution would indeed be first in the order of operations. Only after ascertaining clarity would it make sense to seriously estimate a recovery timetable. That he won’t be ready to immediately resume baseball workouts further points to a slow, methodical recovery process. For however long he remains out, the lineup will miss him badly. Chourio’s 17 home runs rank second on the team behind Christian Yelich, as do his 67 RBI. His .786 OPS leads the offense among qualified hitters. In 90 at-bats in July, he hit .367/.408/.600. The Brewers are resilient everywhere, but without one of their few genuine power threats and hottest bats, plus an everyday outfielder, they are courting a potential offensive slump. The most fans can hope for from Chourio is that he returns fully healthy by the first week of September. Until then, Blake Perkins and trade pickup Brandon Lockridge should see plenty of playing time while Yelich takes more reps in the outfield after getting most of his at-bats this season as the designated hitter.
Caitlin Clark's Expected Return Date Could Bring Good News for Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever have found a way to keep winning with star Caitlin Clark on the sidelines with a groin injury, improving their record to 17-12 with a win Sunday over the Seattle Storm. While it remains unclear exactly when Clark could take the floor again, her expected return timeline could match up well with a critical stretch in the Fever's schedule. ESPN's Holly Rowe reported in late July that while Clark remained day-to-day, it would be realistic for her to return sometime around the third week in August. That could put the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year back on the court for what could be the team's most important stretch of the season -- a back-to-back set with the league-leading Minnesota Lynx on August 22 and 24. The Fever are looking to climb up in the crowded playoff standings, and getting at least a split from the home-and-home series with the Lynx could be critical. Fever coach Stephanie White stressed after Sunday's win that the team was not going to rush Clark back onto the court. "I know she wants to be out here on the floor, we want her out here on the floor, but making sure that she's ready is the most important thing," White said. "I still don't know how far we are, we're gonna take it one step at a time, one day at a time, and go from there."
Bubba Wallace reveals what his wife told him before Brickyard 400 win
Over the past four years, Bubba Wallace was used to sitting on the bubble of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. So was his wife, Amanda, and she wasn't too happy to see her husband slipping as the 2025 regular season waned. An incident in Chicago with Alex Bowman left Wallace two points above the cut line with seven races left in the regular season — a far cry from where he was in early June when he had a 54-point advantage. "After Chicago, it was unfortunate how that played out," Wallace said in a news conference at Iowa Speedway on Saturday. "All of my doing. My wife was very upset with me. It was kind of an eye-opening deal. She basically said, 'get your sh-- together, [because] I don't want to see you in that spot that you've been in so many years. I said, okay, I'll go win Indy." Wallace's victory at Indianapolis puts him in unfamiliar territory this late in the regular season. His previous two career wins came during the playoffs in seasons where he was not a participant. Wallace had to point his way into the postseason in nail-biting fashion in 2023 and missed out heartbreakingly in 2024. This year, no such postseason stress will fall on the 31-year-old driver. It's safe to say that after living life on the playoff cut line for so many years, he'll enjoy being off the hook over the final four weeks of the regular season.
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