Charles Barkley on retirement: ‘I’m going to miss America’
"To pack up and move to another network after 25 years, I don’t think I have that in me."
"To pack up and move to another network after 25 years, I don’t think I have that in me."
"I hope that they can match. But this sounds way above my pay grade on a lot of forms."
"I can't imagine a world in which I don't see you on a regular basis talking hoops."
"I wouldn’t feel comfortable going to work for another network."
"All these networks are going to lose money on the NBA. But for TNT, they don't have me for anything other than (the NBA). And if they don't sign it, they lose me completely."
Barkley's off-the-cuff announcement may have created even more tension heading into what is likely the final season of 'Inside the NBA.'
"I’m not saying he’s lying. I’m saying, don’t believe he’s gone for good. Don’t believe it."
"First of all, let me say this: this could be retirement for all of us at Turner Network next year."
"Charles says a lot of things, and there are times when I go, ‘I don’t believe that you believe that.’ This once felt like, maybe that is true."
"We're looking forward to another fantastic NBA on TNT season and further discussion of our future plans with him."
"Nobody, in any sport, has been better in the studio than Barkley."
"Listen, I wish I had a job next year."
"At the end of the day, there’s only gonna be so many television packages, Finals games, playoff games, regular season games to distribute."
"I'm glad I have different options to fall back on, but when I go left, it just starts to get sad."
"It's like buying the biggest, shiniest yacht in St. Bart's, and I don't even know what he's gonna get. But it's gonna be some nuts number."
The decision was a sign of support for Gobert and Towns.
"I cannot wait for next season. It's gonna be a blast." "Did Ernie say 'blast' or 'last'?"
"They're still really, really trying.'
TNT losing the NBA will have massive ripple effects in sports media, beyond Warner Bros. Discovery or the pro basketball world.
"They're not gonna work me like a dog."
"He doesn't understand the difference between being funny and critical and just being f***ing mean."