AIR IT OUT
‘They know better’, Charles Barkley warns TNT execs over holding talks with ‘disturbed’ NBA legend over future outbursts
Charles Barkley also had some words for Warner Bros Discovery boss David Zaslav
CHARLES Barkley claimed his NBA on TNT bosses "know better" than to bother him over his public rants.
Barkley, 61, has publicly voiced his frustration at TNT's handling of the NBA media rights deal beyond next season.
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TNT looks set to lose their package with NBC and Amazon stepping in alongside ESPN as the league's broadcasters.
And that means the hugely popular Inside the NBA show which Barkley is a part of will end in it's current form after the 2024-25 season.
Barkley has been vocal both on air and in interviews about how unhappy he is about the situation.
But the former NBA star isn't worried about TNT execs contacting him over his comments.
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And he also took aim at Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav for remarks made in 2022.
WBD own TNT, and Zaslav said in 2022 that the company didn't need NBA rights.
Speaking about his bosses on the "SI media with Jimmy Traina" podcast, Barkley said, “Number one, they’re not gonna call me - they know better.
“Secondly, he (Zaslav) never should’ve said that. Plain and simple.
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“I think this is our third negotiations and we’ve always signed during the exclusive window.
Charles Barkley left lost for words on TNT after NBA fan claims he's 'cutting the line at Krispy Kreme'
It’s never come up for bidding. Clearly Adam (Silver, NBA commissioner) is upset. I’m assuming he’s upset.
"Something is going on, to be honest with you, because if we have the right to match, it would be a simple — ‘yeah, we’re gonna match’ or ‘we’re not gonna match.’
"That’s the thing that’s got us disturbed the most.”
Barkley has openly joked on air about being busy filling in job applications in a nod to TNT losing NBA rights.
The issue came up again on Thursday night's coverage of the NBA Western Conference Finals.
Inside the NBA's future?
Inside the NBA's run on TNT Sports is in major doubt due to the NBA's broadcasting deals.
The Emmy-winning sports show is a fan favorite thanks to the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.
But TNT's broadcast deal with the NBA is up after next season and NBC looks set to take those rights in a $2.6bn deal.
If TNT loses its NBA package, it raises serious questions over the popular Inside the NBA.
One solution could be to recreate the show on another network, which snaps up the NBA rights.
The Dallas Mavericks rounded off a 4-1 series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to book their place in the NBA Finals.
That brought an end to TNT's coverage for this season with NBA Finals broadcast on ABC, starting June 6.
Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson signed off the network's coverage for 2023-24 on Thursday night.
"I cannot wait for next season, it's gonna be a blast," he said.
And Barkley replied, "Did Ernie say a 'blast' or 'last'?"
A recent report also claimed that things are tense between the Inside the NBA stars behind the scenes.
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Barkley insisted on speaking to a New York Times reporter earlier this week, which is said to have annoyed co-stars.
Kenny Smith "voiced his irritation" at the interview and told Barkley he should clear the interview through TNT sports, according to the report.