Charles Barkley has stated he’s retiring from Contained in the NBA alongside host Ernie Johnson after the subsequent NBA season, and this time, it seems to be like he means it.
“Proper now, until Ernie modifications his thoughts, subsequent yr is my final yr for 100%,” Barkley stated on a Thursday episode of The Invoice Simmons Podcast.
Johnson has hosted Contained in the NBA since 1990 when TNT acquired broadcasting rights, with Barkley becoming a member of a decade later after the hall-of-famer retired from the league. Since then, this system has cemented itself as probably the greatest studio reveals on cable regardless of principally sidestepping sport evaluation in favor of alchemized banter. It’s a serious post-game retention automobile: In 2025, Contained in the NBA averaged 3.5 million viewers following sport six of the Pacers-Knicks Jap Convention Finals versus 8.1 million for the sport itself.
This isn’t the primary time Barkley introduced his retirement. He stated he’d exit the present amid uncertainty round whether or not Warner Bros. Discovery would retain NBA broadcasting rights, although he in the end stated he’d keep on shortly earlier than it was introduced that the present could be licensed to ESPN as a part of Warners’ settlement with the NBA.
On the podcast, Barkley stated he was able to retire till Johnson persuaded him to do one other season after the present moved below the Disney umbrella.
The one motive I stayed is so that everyone may hold their jobs behind the scenes,” he stated. “I’m hoping the present retains occurring ESPN, but when Ernie retires after subsequent season, I’m achieved. I’ve a lot love and respect for that man. If he says [he’s] achieved, I’m achieved.”
Changing Johnson will likely be a tall process. Whoever takes his seat should steer a chaotic ship, at instances taken over by analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, each of whom haven’t given any indication of retiring. Barkley’s seat will likely be powerful to fill as nicely, although ex-NBA gamers who’ve seen their stars rise within the broadcasting and podcasting worlds may very well be contenders, together with Jeff Teague, Kevin Garnett and Richard Jefferson.
