It will be a sad, sad day for NBA fans everywhere once it is confirmed that ‘Inside the NBA’ will not return. Despite their initial failure in maintaining the media rights from the NBA, TNT continues to fight on through legal means and prevents the entirety of the rights from being handed off to NBC, Amazon, and ESPN. Unfortunately, the situation now seems to be bleaker than ever. While his initial plans for retirement have not changed, Charles Barkley continues to sympathize over the ending of the show to whom he devoted more than two decades of his life.

As per his appearance on a CNBC segment yesterday, it really seems that he’s all set to bid adieu to the network.

Just last month, Barley stated his intentions to retire. While things weren’t set in stone then, after hearing him talk now, it seems they are. At least in his head, they are.

And it’s not just him, the media rights deal is affecting; it’s affecting a good deal of people and employees. The former Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t help but feel bad for all those who are going to have to quit/leave their jobs after the deal fully pans out. After all, he’s worked with them for almost 25 years. That’s quite a lot many years. Relationships and marriages don’t last that long!

Barkley admits to having formed a family-like bond with them over time. While the former player still holds some hope, he has also come to realize that doing so would be a bit far-fetched. “Honestly, in my heart, I feel that we have lost the package,” said Barkley. “That’s my honest opinion, but I really hope we get a last-minute reprieve for the people at Turner.” The 61-year-old also hinted at his retirement announcement being linked to TNT’s recent dilemma, since he wouldn’t be “comfortable” heading to another network after having spent years with ‘Inside the NBA.’

The league’s intentions to hand over its media rights to Amazon, NBC, and ESPN first came to light back in early June, after the Wall Street Journal reported the deal being finalized under an 11-year, $76 billion contract. Warner Bros Discovery, who were reportedly suffering from $40 billion in debt, could not afford to save the rights despite possessing some minimum capital.

Being unable to cover the NBA would prove harmful for TNT. According to Bloomberg, the $2.5 billion they generate in fees from pay-tv operators and the $700 million from advertising sales all stem from their coverage of the basketball league and its games. The precarious position in which the network finds itself has raised speculation that it may end up suing the NBA for economic reasons. Shaquille O’Neal’s former agent, Leonard Armato, confirmed the same during an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports by highlighting that ‘matching rights’ can give TNT the option to make their financial battle a legal one.

Unfortunately, while TNT may have the reasons to sue, they don’t have a proper foundation on which they can win a hypothetical case. According to Article 24 of the NBA constitution, the league commissioner, i.e. Adam Silver, is expected to place priority on the NBA’s financial standing due to supervising “all business and affairs of the League.” However, the NBA is reportedly not obligated to continue its work with a fixed business partner. Therefore, with the three rival networks providing a better deal for Adam Silver to work on, he cannot be blamed for backing out of its agreement with TNT. Unless a silver lining ends up being found that works in TNT’s favor, the legal route is all but closed for the network.

Charles Barkley doesn’t approve of the “disservice” to the fans

Platforms like Amazon and NBC possess an advantage that puts it over the edge of TNT and Warner Bros: Streaming Services. By prioritizing its negotiations with these two giants, the NBA has indicated what direction it is looking to set its future course on. Unfortunately, for Charles Barkley, the same is a greedy disservice that does not cater to every fanbase of the NBA world.

When asked about the position that streaming holds in today’s sports, the old-school personality came out to state that shifting to streaming is just a way to pander to the “greedy players” and “greedy owners.” In today’s world, where everyone is looking to maximize their profitability potential, Barkley wants something that caters to the benefit of all fans.

“We should never put money above the regular fan. Everybody can’t afford streaming,” said the 61-year-old. “There’s nothing wrong with streaming, but when you start just going to the highest bidder, and you’re not on regular television, I think you do a disservice to the fan…the fan is always the most important thing.”

No matter what happens, the charismatic crew of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson Jr will be returning to ‘Inside the NBA’ for one more season. Whether the same will be a final hurrah or the continuation of a beloved show will be answered in due course.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.