Charles Barkley has been critical of how Warner Bros. Discovery handled the negotiations of the NBA media rights.
That’s been clear from the get-go.
While he loves his Turner family, Barkley doesn’t believe that his bosses did enough to keep the NBA on TNT. He’s pointed fingers at his boss, David Zaslav, who, early in his tenure as Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO, said, “We don’t have to have the NBA.”
Barkley believes that pissed off Adam Silver, which made him worry about his and his colleagues’ futures. Not wanting to wait around to find out what network Inside the NBA may or may not continue on following the 2024-25 NBA season, Barkley announced his impending retirement.
Barkley has doubled and tripled down on his retirement plans, blasting “greedy” NBA players and owners in the process.
And he’s doing that again.
After WBD’s matching rights ultimately proved totally worthless as it failed to successfully match Amazon’s agreement, Barkley released a statement Friday, criticizing the league’s stance in the negotiations.
“Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I’m not sure TNT ever had a chance. TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn’t want to piss them off.
“It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners chose money over the fans. It just sucks.
“I just want to thank everyone who has been at Turner for the last 24 years. They are the best people and the most talented and they deserve better. I also want to thank the NBA and its fans — the best fans in sports. We’re going to give you everything we have next season.”
Charles Barkley, legendary TNT Inside the NBA Analyst, releases statement pic.twitter.com/oP3depz9xd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 26, 2024
Barkley’s statement marks a shift in his criticism. While previously focusing most of his ire on his employer, Barkley is now directly targeting the NBA itself. The Hall of Fame forward has accused the league of prioritizing financial gain over the interests of fans, claiming they have “chosen money over the fans” by partnering with Amazon.
And with one foot out the door, he has no problem calling it how he sees it.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.