
*ESPN’s future with “Inside the NBA” looks solid, but does that future include Charles Barkley? To hear it from the basketball legend, he doesn’t know.
After all, he’s got other folk knocking on his door to come their way. Just as he’s deciding who will ultimately stand with. The question is who will it be?
During a recent appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Barkley tackled the elephant in the room, putting his business out there about ESPN’s agreement to license “Inside the NBA” from TNT” and whether he’ll remain on the ship at its new home or drift over to the competition.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Barkley admitted when asked whether his current contract with TNT will transition to ESPN. “I’m listening to NBC, 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. First of all, they haven’t even given us any type of schedule, whatsoever. But I’d be doing myself a disservice not to meet with NBC, which I have. And meet with Amazon, which I have. And the number one thing I’ve told everybody is, ‘Can y’all give me a damn schedule?’
“Cause nobody knows anything, Dan…I love ESPN, I got nothing against them, but I want to know how much I’m going to be working…They’re not gonna work Charles like no damn dog,” he continued while emphasizing how he won’t be overextending himself to suit whatever network wins his services. “I got nothing but love and respect for ESPN, but I’m taking my time with NBA and Amazon. I want it in writing. How much do y’all think I’m gonna work…I want to know what they’re expecting. Are we gonna have the same schedule? Or are we gonna have to do ABC, ESPN, and TNT? Because TNT, I think, they originally wanted to keep doing something. So I’m not gonna be doing both. I’m not gonna be doing ABC, ESPN and TNT. That’s not gonna happen.”

Noting Barkley’s dilemma, Awful Announcing pointed out that while ESPN secured an agreement to license “Inside the NBA from TNT,” there is no commitment to the “SportsCenter network at this time from Barkley.
In addition, the site mentioned Barkley’s problems with TNT wanting to “keep doing something.”
“TNT won’t have NBA rights beginning next season, but the network may have still wanted to maintain some form of Inside the NBA,” Awful Announcing stated as it brought in Barkley’s fellow “Inside the NBA” cohort Shaquille O’Neal to illustrate how he isn’t the only one exploring other options.
“It was previously reported that Shaquille O’Neal isn’t under contract for the looming move to ESPN next season either. NBA fans want the show to stay together. Barkley previously talked about wanting the show to stay together. And it seemed like everything might stay together through a licensing agreement with ESPN, until Barkley through cold water on that today.
Given chances surrounding Barkley and O’Neal jumping ship, along with a final season with Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson is anyone’s guess. And if Shaq and Sir Charles aren’t Inside the NBA will it ultimately decrease the show’s stock enough for Worldwide Leader to lose interest and look at whether it really wants the show on its roster?

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