Shaq & Charles Barkley’s Head Should’ve “Been On The Swivel” 4 Years Ago With TNT’s Inside The NBA, Claims Ex-Warriors Star

The curtain may fall on the iconic TNT crew, and not everybody is sympathetic. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, along with the Inside Guys, became household names with their candidness and humor. Amid the tensions surrounding the upcoming NBA media rights, this crew will likely bid adieu as TNT  fails to make the final cut.

In the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, the former Dubs star, Gilbert Arenas, shared his opinion on the ongoing rollercoaster in the sports broadcasting scene. While a majority of the fans and competitors expressed their displeasure, Arenas shared a rather brutal take and spared no mercy. When the show’s host asked Gil if he cared about the unfortunate situation, he said, “I don’t… I mean, they’ve been outdated for a long time… Their head should have been in swivel about four years ago when the podcast started to take over.”

Speaking of the podcast boom, the recent surge in the format has changed the landscape of the media industry. Bigwigs like Stephen A. Smith, and Skip Bayless, former and active players are now a part of deciding the narratives with their channels. Notably, even Gilbert Arenas found his voice during this massive shift.

On the other end, despite the increased competition, the Inside Guys had a successful run, thanks to Shaq and Chuck. Even the legends themselves addressed their situation on live TV. Shaq said, “We don’t really have any information on it…  I think it’ll be a travesty to everyone,” in a recent podcast.

Charles Barkley, who recently signed a 10-year deal with TNT, said, “I put an opt-out in a couple years because I wanted to cover my a**. No one really knows where they will end up. Maybe they too take the podcast route.

While Arenas showed no mercy, a veteran analyst expressed his displeasure

During the 9-year contract in the current NBA media rights, the Inside Guys even made their competitors like them. The veteran sports media personality Rich Eisen expressed his displeasure surrounding the uncertainty. Speaking in the latest episode of Rich Eisen show, he said, “If Turner’s out, these four guys (Shaq, Kenny, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson) are up… It’s kind of sad if they’re going to let this thing go.” 

Eisen also dropped an advice to the NBA in order to protect the legendary analysts. He said, “NBA’s got to sit there and think these are the four best guys to sit down together and talk about their Sport and make it go viral in a way that nobody else can.” While one competitor batted for legends, another didn’t care about the fall.

Several reports suggested that Amazon, ESPN/ABC, and NBC have finalized the deal and the 2024-25 season will be the end of the iconic show. The league is expected to earn $6 billion annually with the latest deal while it earned $2.7 billion annually in the last 9 years.

Will it be the end of the Inside Guys? or will they find their way back together? Let us know in the comments below.