Despite Some Rumblings From Charles Barkley, ‘Inside the NBA’ Crew Expected To Stay Together For ESPN Transition

There’s still no official word from Charles Barkley himself, but signs are pointing toward the beloved Inside the NBA crew sticking together as the show prepares to move from TNT to ESPN and ABC for the 2025–26 season.

While the NBA’s new media rights deal, announced in November, made it clear that Inside the NBA would be licensed to ESPN, uncertainty has remained around whether the full cast, particularly Barkley, would make the move.

Barkley has voiced public frustration about the process, claiming he found out about the transition through media reports rather than from TNT directly. In December, he said he was keeping his options open and had not committed to joining ESPN. But on Monday, ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro offered the most optimistic update yet.

“I have not heard any false notes. My understanding is we’re keeping the band together,” Pitaro told Front Office Sports.

That would mean the return of Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal — a quartet that’s helped define basketball broadcasting for more than a decade. While nothing is official yet from the talent side, Pitaro’s comments suggest ESPN is confident the core group will remain intact for the fall launch.

The 2025–26 NBA season will mark a new era in coverage, with games airing across ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video under the league’s new rights deal.

For fans, it’s welcome news that amid all the network shuffling, one of the league’s most iconic pregame shows might stay just the way it is, just on a different channel.