Charles Barkley has built a very successful career in the broadcasting industry since retiring from the NBA in the early 2000s.
Barkley has been working prominently in NBA games as an analyst on the beloved Inside the NBA show and other shows on ESPN and formerly on TNT Sports.
But that second career of Barkley could be coming to an end soon.
Charles Barkley Ends NBA Broadcasting Career Next Year
According to Barkley himself, he could be retiring from the broadcasting industry as soon as next year. Talking on the Bill Simmons podcast, Barkley said that he could go alongside fellow Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson after the 2026-2027 NBA season.
“Me and Ernie are a package deal,” Barkley said. “Ernie said to me, ‘Chuck, would you please stay for two more years?’ I said, ‘I love you, man. You’re the best. I’ll stay for two more years.’ So right now, unless Ernie changes his mind, next year is my last year, 100 percent. … If he says he’s done, I’m gone.”
While Johnson, who is now 70 years old, has not made a standalone public retirement announcement himself, Barkley revealed that he agreed to stay on the show following its transition to ESPN to help behind-the-scenes staff keep their jobs, but that he considers Johnson’s timeline as the final word.
If they leave, only Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will be left in the original Inside the NBA crew, which got famous in the early 2010s when they were still with TNT Sports broadcasting.
Immediately after retiring from the NBA, Barkley joined Turner Sports in 2000 as a studio analyst for TNT’s Inside the NBA.
Barkley is known for his unfiltered honesty, wit, and charismatic humor, giving a unique dynamic to the beloved show.
Barkley’s larger-than-life television persona went beyond the NBA to include coverage of the NCAA March Madness tournament, celebrity golf events, and various pop-culture guest appearances.
That’s another reason for Barkley to retire next year, as he does not want people to get sick of him on their televisions.
“The last thing you wanna be is on every show. I don’t want people to start getting sick of my face. I’m very strategic,” Barkley said.
Charles Barkley Reflects On Working In Television
Charles Barkley has been honest about his takes in the NBA, but he is also honest about the nature of his current job as a television analyst.
For Barkley, his job is easy since it’s just about basketball.
“It’s just basketball. We’re not solvin’ inflation; we didn’t just get back from Afghanistan,” Barkley said in his interview with Jon Wertheim of CBS News in 2023.
That’s why Barkley is honest and easygoing throughout his run as a television analyst.
“I think they know that I’m gonna be honest, I’m gonna be fair, I don’t have a hidden agenda. Not many people on TV that you can say that about,” Barkley said.
Right now, there is no farewell tour announced for Barkley, the television analyst, but there will surely be one with the great impact he had on modern NBA games.
Charles Barkley Drops Major Hint About His NBA Broadcasting Retirement