Well, there was a glimmer of hope when TNT announced that they intended to match Amazon’s $1.8 billion offer for the NBA’s media rights. Surely, their favorite Inside the NBA crew will stay on air a little longer, every fan thought. However, all hopes came crashing down as the league announced that Warner Bros. Discovery failed to match the terms, leaving Amazon’s offer intact and TNT out. While the new partners would intend to recreate the magic by pursuing the TNT crew to join them, Charles Barkley and Co.’s contracts and Ernie Johnson’s loyalty might not allow that dream to become a reality.

Charles Barkley and Co. on Amazon Prime Video is unlikely to happen

As per Jay Marine, the Global Head of Sports for Amazon Prime Video, the league’s new streaming partners have an interest in bringing the Inside the NBA crew to their network and continuing with a similar format that has thrived on television. “Obviously, there’ll be a lot of interest, and we’ll just have to see how that plays out,” Marine remarked. However, the new union seems highly unlikely as an anonymous source close to Warner Bros. Discovery claimed that there is “essentially zero chance of the show going anywhere intact.”

Why? You may ask.

First and foremost, Ernie Johnson, who has been the floor general of Inside the NBA for the last 35 years, even inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame for his work at Turner, is too loyal to the network. “He is Turner Sports. Period,” a source revealed.

And about the rest of the crew, Charles Barkley, Shaq, and Kenny; they are contractually bound by TNT for the long term, which might restrict them from making a switch to any of the league’s new partners. “I said, ‘If you guys lose the NBA, I want to make sure that I can get out of here.’ So, I am actually in a really great position…wanted to make sure that if we lost the NBA in two years, I could be a free agent,” Barkley recently revealed in an interview, his agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery that he could be a free agent if they lose the NBA’s media rights deal.

However, sources believe that the actual contract might be more complicated than that. For each member of the crew, the contract is unique, and the included variables might not allow them to join Amazon.

When is ‘Inside the NBA’ ending?

“I would say, first and foremost, ‘Inside the NBA,’ we view it as the gold standard studio program,” Marine said. Although he is still optimistic about the legendary crew making a move to Amazon at some point and continues singing praises, every other factor hints that the iconic show might come to an end. How soon? Well, now that the NBA has announced that their ties with TNT are over, ‘Inside the NBA’ will have its final TV run this upcoming season. And once the deal expires, the show is also expected to go off-air.

Moreover, a reincarnation of the show on any other network seems nearly impossible because Barkley has already announced that he will retire from broadcasting after his TNT tenure comes to an end and does not plan to join other networks.

“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 have been working with Turner, and I love everybody at Turner, but at this age to go over and start over, I don’t know if I can do that,” Chuck said in a recent interview.

When asked if there was any amount of money that could change his decision, he hilariously replied, “Hey, if I don’t have enough money by now, I’m the biggest idiot, fool in the world.”

Meanwhile, Kenny and Shaq have not made any public statements about their future. However, considering Shaq’s vast array of businesses and investments, he might also quit broadcasting like his colleague and go a completely different direction. Amid the whole media rights situation, Big Diesel has also expressed interest in becoming an owner of an NBA team if the opportunity presents itself. And with Silver recently revealing that an expansion could be in order, Shaq might have his eyes set on that development.

But most importantly, even if one member doesn’t agree to team up again on a new network, the show might lose its charm altogether because the chemistry of the four NBA legends is what has kept the show on top for so many years. So, this season could be the last time you see Shaq, Kenny, Barkley, and Ernie share the same screen discussing basketball and every episode will be a must-watch.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.