The best part about having Charles Barkley on TV is he’d be wild one second and professing his love the next. Shaq is usually the one on the receiving end of it. But the NBA commissioner? That’s rare. In the past, Barkley has had no problem putting Adam Silver on the spot. Then last week he put Silver and the league on blast for rejecting TNT’s last offer. In the immediate aftermath of his heated statement, Chuck dropped by NBA Radio to praise Silver. Now, do that math.

Firstly, Barkley confirmed he hasn’t spoken to the NBA head honcho yet but plans to call him soon to discuss Turner’s situation. He made it clear he’s not going to start that conversation all guns blazing, “because I love Adam Silver. I think he’s fantastic.” 

But it’s undeniable he upset Barkley recently when the NBA denied TNT’s attempt to match Amazon’s 11-year structure. That decision puts Inside the NBA in jeopardy, a show that fans have loved for 35 years. Disappointing as it is, Chuck does know that the decision wasn’t easy and there were some clear winners and losers. “I also understand he works for that owners and the players. And, hey, this is a great deal for the owners and the players. Do I think it’s the best thing for the fans? No, I do not.”

He proceeded to say, “Regardless what happened with Turner, whatever, he did a great job for these players. And for the next 11 years they’re going to make more money than they can ever spend.”

Something we don’t see often are players defending the league commissioner. However, despite an agree to disagree stance with Silver and his predecessor since he was a player, he doesn’t believe in blaming all the problems on league commissioners. He acknowledged that Silver took a decision for the benefit of the league and, “I got a lot of respect for Adam.” He has interesting ways of showing it though.

Charles Barkley wants to chat with the NBA Commissioner

Only three days ago, Barkley’s stance contrasted himself. “It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks,” he said in a statement before even TNT responded to NBA’s rejection. Warner Bros Discovery attempted to match Amazon’s $1.8 billion structure with a hybrid deal. Barkley would later say that the league prioritized streaming because that’s the future of sports viewing.

He’s, however, more heartbroken for his colleagues of 24 years at TNT and fans who’ve been campaigning to save Inside the NBA. After Turner announced legal litigation, fans have been rallying behind them. Yet, Barkley thinks it’s a bad idea to sue the NBA to stay in a partnership with them.

He might want to salvage something through a chat with Silver. Only Sir Charles could tell us how that goes down.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And, join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.