Straight after his NBA retirement, Charles Barkley found a new home with the Turner Network. He joined the Inside the NBA show where Kenny Smith was already part of the program. After 24 years of working together and spending countless hours talking, Smith did not like when Barkley did not speak to him about the major news that had everyone in shock.

With the NBA season behind us, Kenny Smith has flown down under to promote his next venture. Smith has taken up a role where he helps in the development of the next stars. He has joined as the Head of National Basketball League’s Next Stars Player Initiatives in North America. During the promotion of the same, ‘The Jet’ was asked about his best friend’s retirement announcement.

Kenny Smith told The Post, “He never called me. He never told me.” Smith added further, “He still hasn’t called me and told me, ‘Kenny, I’m retiring.‘” Even though they have 1 year left on their deal with TNT, it was surprising to see Charles Barkley announce his sudden retirement. But the Emmy-winning show co-host had another complaint about Chuck.

“I was just surprised he (Barkley) didn’t thank me, Ernie (Johnson) and Shaq (O’Neal). You’re going to retire and not thank us?” The 59-year-old also joked about hiring someone else by sharing it with his 692k+ Instagram followers. “New guitarist needed, serious inquiries only.” Serious or not, Charles Barkley was very definitive about his retirement plans.

“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT. But I have made the decision that no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television.” Chuck said after the game 4 of the NBA finals. “And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude.” The Mavs’ result in game 4 was by 38-point but what was more unbelievable was such a drastic decision from the Hall of Famer.

Charles Barkley and his retirement

As per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the plans for Barkley are yet to be discussed as of mid-June. “We’re looking forward to another fantastic NBA on TNT season and further discussion of our future plans with (Barkley),” TNT Sports said in a statement. “Charles is a Hall of Famer and broadcasting icon who is and will always be a beloved member of the TNT Sports family,” said a TNT Sports spokesperson in another report to CNN. But it’s no surprise these statements are popping up.

“(To) the folks at Turner Sports, I apologize that this has been a prolonged process because I know they’re committed to their jobs,” Adam Silver had earlier said amid fan protests against TNT potentially losing the TV rights deal. And to save himself from such a situation Charles Barkley added condition. “One of the things I did was I put an opt-out after a couple years. Because I wanted to cover my a** when it comes to this situation.” Chuck spoke with ESPN Cleveland’s The Really Big Show at the beginning of May.

Previously, many times Charles Barkley had hinted at retirement, starting in the early 2010s. He said 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 and delicious pasta, golf, and an in-home pitch to convince him to renew his contract with the other three in 2015 till 2022.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.