Every year, before the regular season fans eagerly wait for Inside the NBA analysts’ Top 50 list. With Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith on the show, it is easily one of the best analysis shows. As a Hall of Famer and one of the most outspoken voices in basketball analysis, Barkley’s rankings carry significant weight in the basketball community. “No. 1 priority is how many different ways you can win the game,” said Chuck about his criteria. Making it to the 11-time All Star’s list is no ordinary feat.

Versatility was a key consideration for him during the process. Players who could influence the game in various ways received more recognition than those he viewed as somewhat limited or one-dimensional in their impact. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns did not make it to the 1993 MVP’s top 25 players. While he repeatedly said these rankings are subjective, we cannot say for sure what’s the reason behind the New York Knicks’ stars being low on the list.

It might have something to do with them not being elite defenders. For Brunson, who led the Knicks with an impressive postseason run, and Towns, a four-time All-Star and dominant presence for the Minnesota Timberwolves who has now teamed up with Brunson at the Knicks, the omission comes as a surprise to many fans and analysts alike.

The Big Diesel has a different approach from Chuck. Shaq clearly focused his rankings on team success and a player’s ability to be the difference between winning and losing, while consistently valuing being a winner across their criteria. He frequently emphasized the significance of winning a championship, like Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo, or at least coming close, as Luka Dončić has. He also mentioned that the lower part of his rankings wasn’t set in stone. For instance, the player ranked 22nd isn’t necessarily much better than the one at 42nd, because of the insane talent which is present in the NBA

Could this be Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neil And Kenny Smith’s last list?

Everyone has their own opinions, and can have their own list with their reasoning. Obviously Chuck, Shaq and Smith will continue to make and release their lists given their stature. But this is the last list they will be presenting on Inside the NBA show. Yes, this fan favorite show will no longer be returning after the end of the 2024-25 season.

In July of this year, the NBA revealed that it accepted Amazon Prime Video’s media rights offer, signaling that Warner Bros. Discovery’s bid to match it was unsuccessful. The show which started in 1989 is almost as entertaining as the match itself and in cases of blowouts, even better. The show provided more than just analysis. It was also humorous with their top notch pranks. Shaq being thrown at a Christmas tree? Sign me up. We’d never forget how Shaq always had to remind Chuck about how it feels to win 4 rings let alone one.

There’s still a chance Amazon might try to sign the Inside the NBA crew and bring the popular studio show to its platform. However, with the show’s future uncertain and TNT no longer holding NBA media rights, basketball fans were left disappointed by the news.