If CBS Sports Golazo featuring Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards rule the soccer shows, Inside the NBA on TNT became the godfathers of sports entertainment. In two words: blockbuster analysis. It became a culmination of Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal becoming brothers from another mother. They chuckled, analyzed, got infuriated, and even spent much time with each other, drawing a diverse perspective on basketball. But, they won’t do it for the NBA anymore as Adam Silver recognizes the conundrum.

It hurts some people because these men promised entertainment and delivered it to perfection. But, the NBA failed to strike a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, to extend their contract. Instead, they entered a media rights agreement, “a long-term arrangement with Amazon” after Warner Bros. failed to match Amazon Prime Video’s proposal.

“We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA,” the league circulated a statement, praising the ‘Inside the NBA show’. The show they lost was an Emmy award-winning program that managed to attract numerous new fans to the world of basketball. The contract expires at the end of the current season. But did it ring a bell in Adam Silver’s head? It certainly did, as he spoke about in detail.

Adam Silver’s failure to strike a deal with TNT opens up separate issues

“I would never say it’s just a studio show. You know, we take all those things into consideration. I would just say, I didn’t weigh losing inside the NBA more than we necessarily weighed, losing that long-term partnership with TNT. I just say, you know, there’s lots of factors. We weren’t able to reach a deal,” Adam Silver said in his interview with CNBC.

Many fans are frustrated with Adam Silver for failing to secure a deal. Reports indicate that WBD matched Amazon’s offer, but Amazon has shown remarkable growth over the past decade and is now a significant competitor to Netflix in the entertainment space. Additionally, the streaming rights for the NBA Cup were awarded to Amazon, which will broadcast the new competition. However, WBD has consistently expressed a desire to finalize a deal.

With all the matching rights withheld, the WBD implanted a lawsuit against Adam Silver for breach of contract. Yet, Barkley knows Silver’s legal skillset, which could unscrew him out of this case. “I don’t think he would put himself in that situation, to be honest with you and I think what’s happening, like I said I am just talking out of my a–. I think the NBA said you can match, but they meant ESPN or NBC. You don’t get to match the Amazon offer.”

He mentioned Adam Silver’s smart idea of not revealing Amazon in the matchup offer for TNT. I mean, who can match Amazon in this day and age right? Barkley talked about how they filed a lawsuit, but the NBA just didn’t care. The NBA has identified Amazon as a potential new media rights partner for negotiations out of nowhere.

However, with the public support for TNT, this case is still unfinished. Fans are disappointed with the decision regarding the media deal, which is worth $76 billion over 11 years, averaging $6.9 billion per season. It will begin from the 2025-26 season and expire during the 2035-36 season. So what’s next for the crew?

Charles Barkley “really feels bad for everybody at TNT”

The four members have a perfect sense of humor, but Charles Barkley steals the show with his one-liners and witty remarks. Not seeing him on TV is something unimaginable for the NBA fans. Barley feels “really feels bad for everybody at TNT,” as they had a 34-year partnership with the league.

Barkley continued, “The main reason I was talking about next year being my last year – I wouldn’t feel comfortable going to work for another network. It’ll be 25 years that I’ve been working with Turner, and I love everybody at Turner, but at this age to go and start over, I don’t know if I want to do that.”

For basketball purists, the show embodies everything great about the game—entertainment infused with passion. The hosts even delved into topics from other sports, showcasing their extensive knowledge. Now, there’s only one thing left to do: Adam Silver, we urge you to strike a deal with these four icons so they can keep the show going. However, it seems like a daunting task!