Jun 4, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; TNT sports analyst Charles Barkley speaks before game two between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Barkley recently made a rather amusing comment while addressing the potential discontinuation of TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’. With the broadcasting company’s NBA media rights deal coming to an end, NBC is expected to take over the slot ahead of next season. Trying to give the viewers one last laugh, Barkley decided to crack a joke at TNT’s demise following Game 2 of the ongoing Western Conference Finals.

Every year the Insider the NBA has a segment called “Gone Fishing”. As the name suggests, the panel hilariously says goodbye to the teams eliminated from the playoffs. This season, due to unknown reasons, the famous segment didn’t take place during the second round of the postseason.

However, today, the TNT crew aired the segment and trolled all the eliminated teams all at once. During this time, while Ernie Johnson Jr. was apologizing to the viewers for the delay in Gone Fishing, Barkley hilariously claimed that they were busy with their search for new jobs.

“We’ve been busy… Filling out job applications,” Barkley hilariously said.

Charles Barkley is likely only joking about filling out job applications. That said, ‘Inside the NBA’, really may be coming to an end, much to the chagrin of the NBA community at large. And while he may be putting on a light-hearted exterior, Barkley is very much worried about it too.

Charles Barkley reveals being stressed about TNT losing media rights

Even though Charles Barkley has been cracking self-deprecating jokes about TNT’s demise, the truth is that everybody working at the network is uncertain about their future. he said,

“It’s nerve-wracking for everybody, it’s very stressful… I don’t think we know what’s going to happen but it’s very stressful at work right now.” per the Dan Patrick Show 

Barkley has expressed his dissatisfaction with the show discontinuing on multiple occasions. He was even taken aback when Warner Bros. Discovery decided to acquire the rights for the College Football Playoff media rights instead of the NBA.

“I don’t feel good. I’m not gonna lie, especially when they came out yesterday and said we bought college football. I was like, well, damn, they could have used that money to buy the NBA,” Barkley stated, per Yahoo! Sports.

The hot-headed Hall-Of-Famer also suggested the potential idea of his own production company taking over the whole show.

“I’ve talked to the guys about everybody signing with my production company, because I have my own production company, and I would love to do that if we lose it,” Barkley said.

The Inside the NBA is one of the most viewed sports analysis shows in the country. Charles Barkley is aware of how the enthusiasts love watching the crew together and is trying to do his bit by not allowing the show to break up completely.