Charles Barkley has already made peace with leaving Inside the NBA behind. In fact, he’s been ready to leave the sport altogether, not just the show. Barkley told Bill Simmons he’d “want to die on the golf course” rather. But after multiple unsuccessful attempts to retire, Chuck is now dependent on somebody else to pull the plug alongside him.

Honestly, the Hall of Famer’s 2024 retirement announcement looked like the beginning of the end. Instead, it became another twist. Barkley infamously called out Turner executives for not only losing the media deal but also for keeping the crew in the dark about their own futures. But after adjusting time and again, Chuck has his farewell plan ready (for good, this time).

“So I had made up my mind I was going to retire after last year,” Barkley said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. “So I said, ‘Okay, I’m good. Like I say, I’m going to pass it to Jamal Crawford or Jalen Rose. I’m good’. So then they’re like, ‘Well, we need you to sign.’ I said, ‘I told y’all I was retiring next year.’ They said, ‘We can’t let people think you are retiring because we’re negotiating a new TV deal.'”

All in all, Barkley’s retirement announcement came with a bigger price tag than expected. By reversing his original plan and staying, the NBA legend helped TNT secure a $350 million deal with ESPN, keeping the network alive. In doing so, jobs were also protected, which Barkley had made his priority.

Barkley revealed having a hush-hush agreement with TNT. The network wouldn’t reveal Barkley’s career plan, but they assured him he could quietly retire after the negotiations were done. Well, TNT ended up losing its NBA broadcasting rights, and that was another curveball.

Unlike any other retirement announcement, the latest one feels more certain because of one telling factor: Ernie Johnson. Chuck and he have been linked to the show for decades. Chuck realized some time ago it was better to merge his plan with Johnson’s.

“I was like, Ernie, ‘How long do you want to stay?’ He says, ‘Let’s keep their job for two more years,'” Barkley recalled. “And so I said, ‘Ernie, I’ll stay for two more years.’ But he says, ‘Chuck, I’m planning on retiring in two years.’ Me and Ernie are a package deal. So to answer your question, Ernie said to me, ‘Chuck, would you please stay for two more years?’ I said, ‘You know what, Ernie? I love you, man. You’re the best. I said, I’ll stay for two more years.’ So right now, unless Ernie changes his mind, next year is my last year for 100%, Bill.”

Even though TNT’s NBA future collapsed, Barkley agreed to remain with the show. Inside the NBA moved into its new ESPN era, keeping Barkley, Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal together. Chuck clarified why he changed his mind. It wasn’t about money.

“The only reason I stayed is so that everybody could keep their jobs behind the scenes,” Barkley revealed.

Chuck has been consistent about one more thing, though. His successors. The first hint came during the 2024 NBA Finals. After Game 4, Barkley made it clear that he had already made up his mind, “no matter what happens.”

“I’m going to pass the baton to Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you, Steve [Smith], but next year, I’m just going to retire after 25 years.”

Crawford even shared his reaction on Instagram: “Only ONE Chuck… Wow,” alongside a teary-eyed emoji. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year currently serves as a lead game analyst for NBC Sports across NBC and Peacock. 22-season NBA veteran Vince Carter is also a studio presence at the same network.

Meanwhile, Steve Smith has been a long-time Turner colleague of Barkley and understands the business inside out. Chuck also just happened to mention Jalen Rose as a replacement, who has often served as a primary fill-in panelist when Kenny or Shaq aren’t available.

These last few years, however, weren’t the only time that Barkley made claims about stepping back from his broadcasting career. The Hall of Famer has been talking about it since the early 2010s. At one point, Chuck even joked that he would be an idiot if he worked until he was 60.

Barkley also indicated that he did not intend to renew his contract when it expired in 2016. Turner Sports, however, had other plans. In 2015, executives went to extraordinary lengths to convince him to stay. The pitch included roughly $1,700 worth of wine and tequila, a meal, golf, and an in-home meeting.

Barkley ultimately renewed his contract alongside Johnson, Smith and O’Neal. Now it seems those efforts won’t come into play again, as Chuck, alongside Johnson, is ready to retire. Chuck has also been living on the edge these last few years. A 2026 on-air controversy had fans calling for Barkley to be fired immediately.

Charles Barkley actually wants ESPN to fire him for one reason

This happened during Game 3 of the NBA Finals in June. While Cardi B’s halftime performance at MSG left the fanbase mesmerized, Charles Barkley made a rather unexpected comment, saying, “I don’t know if those Bs. Those might be Cardi Ds. I’m pretty sure those aren’t Bs. She’s got the wrong initials.”

Chuck’s analysis left his panel in splits, and Ernie Johnson straightaway said, “I don’t know who said that, but I know it wasn’t me.” But even though Cardi B understood the joke and even posted about it, a portion of the fanbase was badly offended. Social media was filled with comments to ESPN to kick the legend out.

About a week later, Barkley addressed the backlash head-on, saying he was “hoping they fire me.” Why?

“I got six or seven years left on my contract that they know I’ve got no chance of doing,” Barkley said on The Dan Patrick Show. “I would love for them to fire me and have to pay me for the next six or seven years. I was talking to my agent. I was like, ‘What can I do to get fired, but they’d have to pay me for the whole six, seven years?’

“There’s zero chance that I’mma be working the next six, seven years. Zero. So I know if they fired me, they’d have to pay me all of those years. And I heard through the grapevine that I make great money, so thank goodness for that.”

Like always, Barkley didn’t pity those who “can’t take a joke,” and doubled down on Inside the NBA’s efforts to keep the mood lighthearted and not always about technical basketball talk.