'Stupid idea'? Charles Barkley says 'Inside the NBA' hosts may have another show on TNT.

Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times on Jun 3, 2025

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LOS ANGELES — The "Inside the NBA" crew bid an emotional farewell on TNT over the weekend in what was said to be the show's final airing on that network before being licensed to ESPN starting next season.

But was it really the last time viewers will see Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson together on TNT in that format?

Maybe not, based on comments Barkley made Monday on "The Dan Patrick Show."

Before anyone gets too excited about the notion, however, know that Barkley introduced the topic by saying that "TNT is trying to do something stupid behind the scenes."

He used the word "stupid" several more times to describe an idea he says is in the works for a show to air on TNT, separate from the one that is moving to ESPN/ABC, that also would have Barkley, O'Neal, Smith and Johnson discussing the NBA.

"We taped a pilot about a month ago and it was the stupidest s— I've ever seen in my life," Barkley said.

TNT did not respond to requests for comment for this article. ESPN declined to comment.

When TNT was left out of the NBA media rights pact last summer with NBCUniversal, Walt Disney Co. and Amazon, it seemed inevitable that "Inside the NBA" would end its run after 35 years.

But the popular show was given a lifeline months later.

"ESPN, in partnership with TNT Sports and the National Basketball Association, announced today that it will exclusively present the iconic Inside the NBA studio show on its platforms starting with the 2025-26 regular season," ESPN said in a Nov. 18 news release. "TNT Sports will continue to independently produce Inside the NBA from its Atlanta-based studios over the term of the agreement.

"The legendary Inside the NBA studio team will appear on ESPN and ABC surrounding high-profile live events, including ESPN's pregame, halftime and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals on ABC, Conference finals, NBA Playoffs, all ABC games after January 1, Christmas Day, opening week, the final week of the season and other marquee live events."

Barkley referred to that schedule while talking with Patrick.

"We're not gonna be on ESPN as much as people think," Barkley said. "We're only probably gonna be working for ESPN like half the time to one-third of the time."

Barkley said that's where the idea of a separate show on TNT came from.

"I guess they want to feel like they're doing something to make us earn our money from TNT," he said.

Barkley said he thinks it's "a stupid idea for a couple reasons."

"Number one, we won't have basketball highlights [on TNT]," Barkley said. "But also, we're probably gonna be going up against an NBA game. And anybody who likes basketball ain't gonna say, 'Hey, you know what? Let me turn off an NBA game on Amazon, ESPN or NBC to go watch these four dudes sit around and talk about nothing.' So it's complicated. And like I say, we taped a pilot doing stupid stuff and it was just stupid stuff."

Barkley continued: "We can't show highlights, so we were sitting there for like an hour and a half taping this pilot, and we were looking at each other, 'What the hell are we doing?' But I give TNT credit. The first thing they said after the pilot [was], "Yeah, that was really stupid. We gotta figure something out.'"

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