NBA legend Charles Barkley has addressed Inside the NBA’s uncertain future.

The 61-year-old has been a regular on the popular TNT show since 2000.

Charles Barkley has opened up on the future of Inside the NBA
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Charles Barkley has opened up on the future of Inside the NBACredit: ABC

The NBA legend joined ESPN on ABC on Monday night for their coverage of the Stanley Cup
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The NBA legend joined ESPN on ABC on Monday night for their coverage of the Stanley CupCredit: ABC

Inside the NBA could end after the 2024-25 season
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Inside the NBA could end after the 2024-25 seasonCredit: TNT
TNT looks set to lose NBA TV rights to NBC after a $2.5 billion tussle between the rival networks.

The move would spell the end for Inside the NBA from the end of the 2024-25 season.

Barkley has addressed the uncertainty over his role in recent weeks.

And he joined the ESPN on ABC crew during Monday’s Stanley Cup Finals to discuss the show’s future.

“Listen, I wish I had a job next year,” Barkley joked after being asked how the negotiations over the TV rights are progressing.

“I’m on LinkedIn. I put on my resume, they are like ‘You never had a real job’.

“I said that’s not my fault.”

“He’s been working out that one joke every where he goes,” laughed one fan.

“I wish @ABC would replace their entire table with @NBAonTNT cast and I then I might actually watch at halftime and before and after the game,” said another.

“Long live Chuck,” added a third.

Inside the NBA’s Days May Be Numbered at TNT
Later in the evening, Barkley joined Sportsnet for an interview in the third period from the Amerant Bank Arena.

But the former NBA MVP let slip an accidental F-bomb, resulting in a quickfire apology.

“Well, they played great in Game 1 but they didn’t win,” Barkley told a Sportsnet reporter.

“[Panthers goalie Sergei] Bobrovsky was f****** amazing.

“Oops, sorry. I’m sorry. He was freaking amazing. I apologize to y’all kids at home.”

What the new TV deal means for the NBA?

By The U.S. Sun’s Assistant Sports Editor Damian Burchardt.

THE new TV rights deal is promising to be a humongous win for NBA players.

The league is set to more than double the revenue coming from its media partners, pocketing about $6.9 billion per year, which will inevitably lead to a huge salary cap spike in 2025-26.

That is going to send the value of player contracts skyrocketing.

Projected figures suggest we might see the first $100 million-per-year deal being signed soon.

Currently, Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown is projected to earn the highest single-season salary in NBA history, collecting $65.1 million in 2028-29.

It does feel like basketball fans would be on the losing side of the fight if the NBA and TNT indeed parted ways, though.

Inside the NBA is a one-of-a-kind sports entertainment show, as evidenced by ESPN’s ongoing failure to come up with its own version of the program in recent years.

The NBA won’t be the same without Kenny and Ernie trying to make sense of Shaq and Chuck’s never-ending bickering every Tuesday night.

It is unclear what the future holds for the Inside the NBA cast, which includes Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal.

Barkley has previously made it known he has an opt-out in his contract if TNT loses the rights.

“I covered my ass to be honest with you,” Barkley said.

“I just signed a 10-year deal two years ago.

“But one of the things I did was I put an opt-out in a couple years because I wanted to cover my ass when it comes to this situation.”