Barkley takes bite out of NBA
Charles Barkley is never afraid to call it as he sees it, and he did so again after the NBA rebuffed TNT’s attempt to match Amazon’s bid for broadcast rights, which TNT has had for more than 30 years.
“Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning,” Barkley said in a statement posted on social media by Bleacher Report.
Amazon reached an 11-year agreement with the NBA and WNBA beginning in 2026. Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT’s parent company, filed a lawsuit Friday against the NBA, claiming its rights to match Amazon’s bid were violated.
“I’m not sure TNT ever had a chance,” Barkley said. “TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn’t want to piss them off.”
Barkley has been a staple of “Inside the NBA” — long considered the best studio show in sports — alongside Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neill.
“It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks,” Barkley said. “I just want to thank everyone who has been at Turner for the last 24 years. They are the best people and the most talented, and they deserve better. I also want to thank the NBA and its fans — the best fans in sports. We’re going to give you everything we have next season.”
TNT still expects to litigate the issue, and The Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel speculates that it could slow Amazon’s attempts to hire talent and production people.
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” TNT’s fiery return statement read.
TNT’s decision to attempt to match the rights changed the trajectory of Barkley’s ire.
The 76ers and Suns great had previously been extremely critical of his employer as it became clear they were unlikely to retain the rights in recent months.
Barkley recently announced that next season would be his last as a studio analyst.