For years, Charles Barkley has captivated the basketball community via Inside the NBA on TNT. With his sharp wit, playful banter, and unfiltered takes, Barkley, alongside Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, has also redefined sports commentary. However, with recent shifts in TNT’s contracts and a new tease from the cast, a certain buzz has started among hooping fans.

That buzz started on a recent episode of Inside the NBA, where Ernie Johnson discussed the upcoming NBA Cup, commencing on November 12, which will be broadcast on Tuesdays and Fridays. Appearing puzzled, Barkley asked if they’d really be working Fridays. Johnson quickly cleared that up saying, “That’s another network.” Moreover, to quickly distract the audience from the intentional or accidental reveal, Shaq said, “Get them Joker.” However, it seems like Shaq’s efforts were wasted since Barkley teased the possibility of a move again. “In fairness, our stuff’s gonna be on another network too,” said Barkley. 

This revelation aligns closely with Barkley’s recent business endeavors. Just days ago, the NBA icon launched his very own media company, Round Mound Media. Named after his own nickname The Round Mound of Rebound, the company aims to focus on sports programming, unscripted series, and documentary content. This new venture is in partnership with EverWonder Studio, with backing from Jeff Zucker’s RedBird IMI. Also, Barkley’s longtime manager Marc Perman will be President of Round Mound in addition to leading his management company.

“Round Mound Media is about creating an outlet for my vision to share compelling, original stories meant to captivate audiences across the world. I’ve always looked for projects and relationships that will allow me to be authentic, and hopefully to build my platform for making the world a better place. EverWonder Studio is the perfect partner to be my creative home and bring this to the next level. Fans will love what we have in the works and I’m excited to get started,” said Charles Barkley about his new venture.

The timing couldn’t be more intriguing, given the recent drama between the NBA and TNT. The show had been running on TNT since the 1989-1990 season. But now the NBA has struck a deal with Disney and Amazon Prime Video that resulted in the removal of broadcasting rights for TNT from the 2025-2026 season.

For fans, these developments offer a mix of excitement and apprehension. Barkley’s personality is a cornerstone of Inside the NBA, and changes to his involvement could alter the dynamic of the show. However did you know the reason why Barkley got into broadcasting in the first place?

Charles Barkley’s reason for starting a career on TV

Many prominent NBA players go for a coaching job after their illustrious careers so they can stay on the court while also advising the next generation. Take Jerry West and Larry Bird as examples. However, this was not the case with the Philadelphia 76ers veteran.

On an episode of the Throwbacks podcast, Barkley was asked why did he start working on TV after his retirement. The 61-year-old was quick to answer this. “It’s really difficult when you play sports trying to figure out the next aspect of your life because it’s not a lot. First of all, you’re not gonna get a real job… we’ve never had a real job in our life so I’m not gonna go get a nine-to-five, coaching is like way too hard to work on, and then it’s like we got lucky and got one of this TV gig,” said Barkley.

Moreover, another reason that acted as a catalyst for this job was the TV producer Dick Ebersol. “My mentor is a guy by the name Dick Ebersol and so my last couple years he said ‘What you think about TV?’ I said, ‘Well, I don’t know’ because it wasn’t popular as it is now…However, Dick Ebersol talked me into it and I’ve been so lucky and blessed,” added Barkley.

The NBA veteran has been with the show since 2000, and now, as he sets foot in his own media world, we can expect nothing but greatness from him.