The NBA’s first season under the reshaped broadcasting landscape has brought many adjustments, not just for viewers but for on-screen presenters. Bear in mind that’s the mildest way I have chosen to write that sentence… One of the biggest headlines during the offseason was the move of fan-favorite show Inside the NBA from TNT to ESPN and ABC, a shift that has changed not just how the show airs but also how often, and Charles Barkley isn’t too happy about it.

“We’ve only been on ESPN, I think, four times in three months,” Barkley said on The Dan Le Batard Show. “We were off all of December to Christmas, and we’re off into all of January until the 24th. I don’t like that at all.”

Barkley laid out the scheduling gap bluntly, and he’s not wrong.

This season, the beloved crew has made only five appearances: thrice during the opening week, once in mid-November, and on Christmas. Following January 24, the schedule becomes a bit more consistent, operating twice a week to close out the month before shifting to a three-day weekend presentation in February and the start of March.

Barkley made it clear that he enjoys watching basketball, which is why the lack of early-season presentation stood out to him. However, he did make it clear he didn’t wish to do a multitude of shows, telling Patrick that he’s “not going to be on ESPN 1, 2, 3, Deportes, Nacho Echo – whatever they call it.”

Despite his criticism, Barkley did clarify that there’s no tension behind the scenes, praising ESPN‘s staff and the work environment. However, his gripes remain with the scheduling.

“I wish that we had have been on more during the first half of the season, but I just checked the schedule, I think we’re on Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday,” Barkley continued. “So, they’re going to start making up some of the days, but I wish in December. We only worked one day in December, Dan.”

NBA fans have been upset at Inside the NBA’s schedule since the day it dropped. But it is important to remember that if it weren’t for ESPN, the all-time favorite pundit crew would’ve never graced our screens this season. The only difference is that they’re no longer a top priority, as they were at TNT. ESPN has decided to use them for the Saturday/Sunday game schedule (when it picks up).

Why Charles Barkley isn’t worried about pushing boundaries at ESPN

Charles Barkley has never been subtle about his opinions or his view of his role in sports media, despite being on air all the time. During his conversation with Patrick, he pushed his candor a step further, revealing just how much leverage he holds in the NBA’s new broadcasting era.

“They can fire me,” Barkley confidently said. “I got seven years on my contract. I’m 100% retiring. But if I can do something just a little bit stupid so they have to fire me, they’ll have to pay me for the whole seven years.”

The remark was delivered with his trademark humor, but Barkley made it clear he’s untouchable. He’s not just another player-turned-analyst co-host, but one of the defining voices in hoops coverage through Inside the NBA, a program whose historical footprint extends far beyond just highlights and analysis.

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Barkley is in the broadcasting Hall of Fame, and that status carries a lot of weight. Just look at the outrage when his show was in jeopardy of ending last offseason after TNT’s deal ran out. It’s clear that both the audience and the network know he will hold the cards, regardless of how many jokes he cracks at others’ expense.