After the plot twist during the NBA Finals, we were reaching for the tissues. Not for tears of joy because the Dallas Mavericks redeemed themselves in spectacular fashion. But because of Chuck’s bombshell at the end of the game. He joined the NBA TV gang after Game 4, expressed how much he loves everyone, and then proceeded to announce his retirement. Charles Barkley will officially walk away from NBA TV after the 2024-25 season and officially change the landscape of NBA viewing. It sounds definitive but a tiny part of us is still hopeful it’s not the last we’d see of Chuck on TV.

16 seasons as an NBA player followed by 25 seasons as an analyst, that’s over 40 years of Charles Barkley on public consciousness. And he’s often ‘threatened’ to alter the broadcast’s status quo during that. Things have changed, some by his own decision. There are five memorable instances when ‘Chuckster’ duped us about his TV career.

The first renewal- a false alarm

‘Sir Charles’ arrived on TNT in 2000 as a rude shock. He was as unpredictable in his speech as his tantrums were on the court. He’d become only the second tenured analyst on Inside the NBA after Kenny Smith since the show began in 1989. Magic Johnson and Reggie Miller would leave while he stayed. In 2011, Shaquille O’Neal arrived, and it was a bit messy. His opinions were harder to digest than Chuck’s but his banter with Barkley was entertaining.

Barkley had been teasing retirement a lot in the early 2010s. He told Sports Illustrated that he’d be an idiot to work till he was 60 and didn’t plan to renew his contract in 2016. However, Turner’s top execs treated him to a $1,700 bottle of tequila, delicious pasta, golf, and an in-home pitch to convince him to renew his contract with the other three in 2015 into 2022.

The Inside Guys signed another 10-year extension in 2022. This time, Chuck included a ‘free agency’ clause to get out of it before his contract is up. At that time, he nearly gave TNT viewers a scare.

Golf nearly stole Chuck

Sure, he’s terrible at golf. But sometimes he shows love for it more than basketball. So much so that he was prepared to do golf broadcasts full time. In 2022, contract negotiations with TNT were sort of stalled. During that, Barkley was in talks with LIV Golf, according to his good friend and sports radio host, Dan Patrick.

Barkley shared some golf duties at TNT with Ernie Johnson, like participating in The Match together. But switching to a new network would take him out of NBA on TNT which fans didn’t want. It was a major fan and media campaign trying to convince him to reject their offer. Ultimately, TNT made an offer Chuck couldn’t refuse – $100 million for 10 years, that’s $10 million per year, more than he ever earned throughout his NBA career.

So Chuck stuck around tentatively. But there were a few other instances too.

Primetime talk show host Chuck didn’t go as planned

In late 2023, CNN desperately tried to revive dismal ratings with a blockbuster pairing – Charles Barkley and Gayle King. During the NBA season, Barkley double-timed it in Atlanta and New York for ‘King Charles’, current affairs talk show. It was the first time Chuck was hosting a primetime show outside sports while King has decades of experience as a lauded journalist.

But the show panned abysmally. It premiered with low ratings and only declined. It ended before the playoffs as planned and the hosts claimed that it’s not the show’s end. On social media, they said that the show’s cancellation “rumors” were wrong. Both stated, “We’re all trying to decide next steps,” and dropped repeated hints for a renewal.

However, CNN’s new leadership officially axed the show. Barkley reportedly heard the cancellation news through the media but said it was not the case as CNN themselves had not informed him and King. He only said that the show had a limited run because of his commitments to the NBA but didn’t refuse the possibility of returning to King Charles.

A possible switch on one condition

In late 2023, Barkley was open and TNT was nervous about Amazon and Apple competing for NBA media rights. Rightfully so as Amazon won the streaming rights after he mentioned it. He was asked if one of the streaming giants offered him a job, would he take it. “I wouldn’t go by myself,” Barkley asserted. “And I would find it hard to go without Ernie.” He said he’d consider going elsewhere if only the offer is made to all four of them.

But in recent months, Chuck ruined those hopes. He revealed that Ernie wouldn’t part with Turner where he has been since 1989. He’d either continue or retire which won’t be the original Inside Guys.

Chuck has been asked if he’d consider going to NBC, CBS, ESPN, and more several times since then. His answer has changed several times.

Job-hunt ends in one decision

Chuck spent the whole offseason curbing our hopes. He’s the only one being realistic about NBA on TNT ending even if it’s claiming he dusted up the old LinkedIn job search in jest. Before the NBA finals, he was asked if he’d go to ESPN. He had a hilarious answer to it. “I wouldn’t have any problem going, taking a job anywhere. I need a J-O-B. I got grandkids now. I got two grandkids,” he said and claimed he’d work at ESPN to put his grandkids through college.

But it was a joke. Barkley stated he’s not talking to any other network and will definitely retire after 2025. If he sees it through this time, remains to be seen.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.