Charles Barkley slams TNT & ESPN as ‘Inside the NBA’ future looks murky

TNT lost the rights to cover the NBA. This brought sadness to fans, as the beloved ‘Inside the NBA’ show appeared to be over.

Related: The intense rivalry of Charles Barkley & Charles Oakley

Luckily for fans, a deal was struck that saw ESPN acquired the rights to license the show. This includes having TNT Sports produce the show.

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Despite this deal, the cast has been left in the dark. This is according to Charles Barkley.

“This has been the worst,” Barkley said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. “TNT just sucks, to be honest with you. They made this deal, and they haven’t told us where we’re gonna work. They haven’t told us how it’s going to work.

“We’ve been talking behind the scenes about whether we’re going to get any time after the game, or are they gonna say, ‘Hey, you guys got to go to SportsCenter?’ I’ve asked that question because it’s the best part of our show.

“After the game, we have conversations and have fun,” Barkley continued. “Are they going to say ‘You guys got three minutes, five minutes, 15, 20, 30, 45,’ or are we going to go straight to SportsCenter?

“They haven’t given us an answer whatsoever, and TNT sold the show, and they haven’t been [communicating]. They got paid.”

It still is a mystery how ESPN will actually handle ‘Inside the NBA.’ What is certain is the show won’t quite be the same as we all know.

About the Author Published Sep 3, 2025

TITAN FREY

Titan Frey is a dedicated father to three wonderful children, whom he takes immense pride in. His passions include reading, writing, basketball, both playing and watching, and playing chess. Titan spent five years working as a journalist for the basketball website fadeawayworld.net, where he served as editor-in-chief for four and a half years. One of his most notable achievements was interviewing Chuck Cooper III, the son of Chuck Cooper, the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team, and writing a biography that has been praised as the most definitive article about Cooper’s legacy. Titan is the author of more than ten novels and the screenwriter of three produced short films. His newest young adult novel, Echoes of the Hardwood: Braxton Foxworthy’s Time‑Travelling Book Report, blends basketball history with heartfelt storytelling and is now available. Order here: https://a.co/d/bo7BYz1