One of my favorite parts of being a sports media reporter was riding the C train in New York City with Charles Barkley in 2013. The TNT NBA analyst had never ridden the New York subway, but a clever PR person at Turner Sports came up with the idea to have Barkley take the train from Manhattan to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “From Barkley to Barclays!”
At the time, both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets were struggling, and Barkley was riding the subway crowded with New Yorkers excited to meet the NBA Hall of Famer when he heard a baby crying.
“I’m going to the Knicks and Nets game, so I know how he feels,” Barkley joked. Laughter erupted in the car. I filmed some amateur footage of the drive, which you can see here.
Someone who knew him well once told me that Berkeley hated being alone, and that comment has always stuck with me, as I’ve always noted the energy he elicits when in company, including on a subway car more than a decade ago.
I have interviewed Berkeley many times, but I don’t want to overstate my knowledge of him. I don’t know much about his life outside of work. But in over 12 years of working with him, including interviewing him in front of nearly 1,000 people at the South by Southwest festival, I have never seen him alone. He is always with someone. If you haven’t read this story about Berkeley and Lin Wang as a man, I hope you will find it enlightening, as it gives you insight into Berkeley’s desire for company.
That’s why I don’t think he’ll leave sports broadcasting.
So, about that. With the NBA Finals wrapping up on Monday night after a failed competitive series and a steep decline in viewership, the NBA’s focus has shifted to the NBA Draft and the formal signing of future media rights deals. However, a major shocker indirectly related to the media rights deals occurred after Game 4 of the NBA Finals last week: Barkley said he will retire from television after the 2024-25 season, regardless of the outcome of Warner Bros. Discovery’s NBA media rights negotiations.
“I have no plans to go anywhere other than TNT,” Barkley said on NBA TV, “but I have made a commitment that no matter what happens, next year will be my last year on TV.”
That took me back to 2012, when Barkley first told me he was considering retirement from broadcasting, saying he would have a hard time finishing his contract with Turner Sports. He was 49 years old.
“I love my job,” Barkley said at the time. “I love the people I work with, and I plan to do something that excites me. But I have four years left on my current contract, and to be honest, it’s going to be a struggle to stick with it for four years. I really don’t know how much longer I can do this. I need something more, or something else to do.”
“I thought I’d only do this for three or four years, and now I’ve been doing it for 13 years. When I got to my fifth year in broadcasting, I was like, ‘OK, I’ll do it for a couple more years,’ but now I’m like, ‘Hey, you’ve been doing this for 13 years,’ and when my contract is up it’ll be 17 years. 17 years is a long time. It’s a lifetime in broadcasting. I, personally, have to think about my next challenge.”
Charles Barkley, right, on set for the 2024 All-Star Game for “NBA on TNT.” Their futures beyond next season are unclear. (Brandon Todd/NBAE via Getty Images)
Fast forward to 2018. The second article I wrote as a staff writer was Athletic In a lengthy interview with Barkley, he again brought an end to his tenure as announcer.
Deitch: How many more years do you want to work as an announcer?
Berkeley: I’m trying to live to 60 because I want to be young enough to still enjoy and have fun in life. I don’t look down on older people, but I don’t think there’s much fun to be had at 70 or 75. From 60 to 70, I just want to enjoy life.
Deitch: When we spoke before, you said you thought about quitting broadcasting but then decided to carry on. What changed?
Berkeley: Well, first of all, it’s money. (lol)I have a great contract, but I think that will be the end of it when I turn 60.
60 isn’t the end. Barkley is 61 now. No one I spoke to on sports broadcasts over the weekend, including some close to Barkley, thought he’d really retire. Some pointed out that Barkley enjoys being in the spotlight. Others thought he’d change his mind once it became clear how much he wanted it. I spoke to a sports TV executive who hires NBA talent, and he said someone who’s been in the public eye as long as Barkley doesn’t give up that easily. That executive believed Barkley would change his mind. Some at WBD believe they could work something out with Barkley, with or without NBA media rights. TNT released a statement leaving the matter unresolved.
“We look forward to another great NBA on TNT season and look forward to discussing future plans with him further,” the statement read.
The NBA season is long and exhausting. The broadcast rights contract was a total mess for TNT Sports employees, especially those behind the scenes. As many have written, WBD CEO David Zaslav gave a workshop on how to alienate potential sports media partners. Barkley sounded exhausted to my ears when he spoke on NBA TV, and he was clearly upset about the whole process in previous interviews. I don’t think this is a negotiating ploy, because he has no problem getting paid $15-20 million a year in future contracts. I also think he was really serious about what he said last week.
But I don’t think this prediction holds true: With some time to rest and recharge, Barkley will likely continue to appear on TV beyond 2025.
Going deeper
Marchand: Charles Barkley has announced his retirement, but this story isn’t over yet
(Top photo of Charles Barkley in 2016: David Dow/NBAE Via Getty Images)
