Inside the NBA is not going anywhere. After WBD failed to secure the NBA broadcasting deal, the fear was real among the cast and fans about whether the NBA staple show would stay with us. Charles Barkley was one of the few to share his doubts. And a few weeks after the 2024-25 NBA season kicked off, it was revealed that the show would retain the same cast but air on a different network. However, this good news wasn’t as much of a relief to Chuck as it was to the fans.

There were several news articles announcing the move to ESPN. Chuck, who found out about the move in no different way than the fans, has expressed a new concern.

Charles Barkley is worried about TNT’s work culture 

In a recent interview with Kate Constable and Gabe Ramirez, hosts of The Bettor Angle show on The BetQL Network, the 76ers legend revealed that he learned about ESPN and WBD’s deal through the internet and his friends. Barkley even argued that repeated mergers have ruined TNT’s work culture. This rant was sparked after Constable, who was an intern at TNT in 2011 summer, shared positive remarks about the company. Barkley was quick to argue that it is no longer the same.

In the previous season of Inside the NBA, Barkley expressed concern over job security if TNT is unable to secure a deal with the NBA. At the time, he was worried about people’s careers, and even now, he remains troubled by the work culture that will hinder the work after all. 

He believes that repeated mergers have caused employees at TNT to be treated without dignity, and he fears that the upcoming merger with ESPN will lead to even worse treatment. 

“We used to have a great, great organization going to back to Mark Lazarus, who runs NBC now, and David Levy who was a great boss. Our last two mergers have put us in with some people who don’t even treat people with dignity. And it really pi–es us off. Turner used to be the greatest place in the world to work. Like you said. But we’ve merged twice, and it seems like the more times we merge, the worse people get treated,” Barkley explained.

These issues, he suggests, seem most likely to create further unrest. The 11x NBA All-Star has voiced similar concerns about ESPN, specifically regarding its work culture.

Charles Barkley’s reasons to be hesitant to work with ESPN

For a long time, there had been rumors about whether veteran media personality Charles Barkley would be interested in working with ESPN. However, Barkley has always refused to consider these notions for one reason. He believes ESPN makes people work too hard or, in Barkley’s words, “like a dog.”

Now in his 60s, while he is in great health and full of energy, the Phoenix Suns legend doesn’t wish to work under such demanding conditions. He has been working with TNT for more than 2 decades.

“They’re not gonna work me like a dog. ESPN Radio, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes. I mean, H-LL NO! As much as I love ESPN, I just turned 61. The notion that I’m going to be working like a dog into my mid-60s, that’s definitely not going to happen,” Chuck said on the SI Media Podcast.

The only scenario in which Barkley sees himself working for ESPN is if they don’t make him work excessively hard. Back in 2023, ESPN fired 20 commentators and reporters, including Suzy Kolber, Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose, and Steve Young, to cut costs. Chuck’s reason for not joining ESPN went viral following this incident which he has repeated multiple times on Inside the NBA show.

In recent months, Chuck has also expressed his dissatisfaction with ESPN’s programming decisions. He criticized the company’s coverage choices, such as when they chose to feature HC prospect Dan Hurley for the Lakers over Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Barkley mercilessly called out ESPN and said, “I’m like, what kind of idiots are running this network? I said, ‘that was crazy’…I just thought it was so stupid of ESPN yesterday just like, ‘Wait a minute, y’all got the biggest game of the NBA season coming on tonight. And y’all spent the first hour talking about if Dan Hurley goes to the Lakers.”

Barkley also appeared quite disappointed with how TNT didn’t inform them about the switch to ESPN.

Charles Barkley is upset over TNT’s courtesy, or the lack of it 

During the interview, the basketball legend spoke about how he was baffled when he received welcoming texts from his friends, Scott Van Pelt, Brian Windhorst, Elle Duncan, and Bob Myers, about Inside the NBA moving to ESPN.

“They texted me welcoming me to the ESPN family. And I’m like, what happened? TNT didn’t even have the courtesy… Basically we got traded. If I was going to trade somebody that I had respect for and appreciate, I would at least give them a heads up. I wouldn’t let them hear about it from other people or the internet,” the Philadelphia 76ers legend remarked.

TNT’s deal with ABC and ESPN was made after Warner Bros. Discovery’s legal battle with the NBA came to an end. From Chuck’s statement and the other instances seen so far, the basketball legend seemingly might not be wrong about his claims. But only time will tell if his nightmares will truly come to life.