Don’t move Charles Barkley. He’s exactly where he wants to be. In a sweet corporate limbo away from Turner Sports and ESPN’s direct influence, in his favorite time of the year, working with his dream colleague. Sir Charles was back on March Madness but this time checking a 13-year-old dream off his bucket list: getting to work with Dick Vitale. For that, he was grateful to one boss and mad at another.

In a characteristic blend of heartfelt gratitude and unfiltered comedy, Chuckster took a playful swipe at his long-time employers at TNT while celebrating a historic broadcasting milestone. Calling in from a snowy Dayton, Ohio, ahead of the NCAA First Four, Barkley expressed his deep appreciation for the collaboration between rival networks that finally allowed him to pair with the legendary broadcaster.

However, the warmth of the moment quickly turned to Chuck’s signature roast when asked about the internal logistics at TNT. Chuck told his old TNT colleague, Adam Lefkoe in the Atlanta studio, “Hey, listen, let me tell you something about TNT security. We all got the same damn coat. That’s how cheap they are.” Well, the Warner Bros. Discovery bosses are used to their unfiltered employee but Chuck wasn’t done.

He went on to reveal a hilarious security lapse regarding the legendary Inside the NBA set: “We all got the same security code. If you want to go Shaq, Kenny, or my locker, you can go steal something. They’re so secure with their security, they gave everybody the same damn code. How great is that?”

It would be the jackpot for anyone who opens Shaquille O’Neal’s locker, that probably has his drones and Apple Vision goggles among the fake Shaq Dollars. Ernie Johnson probably has a library of yellow notepads where he writes all the wagers. Kenny “The Jet” Smith’s locker is anyone’s guess. Chuck could be carrying his expensive golf clubs to work. But right now, his room is probably empty as he works in Dayton.

Despite the lighthearted jabs at TNT’s expense, Barkley made it clear that his presence in Dayton was the result of a rare corporate truce that he had been seeking for over a decade. This rare alignment of media giants was made possible only after years of blocking were swept aside to honor the legacy of Dickie V.

ESPN succeeded where TNT failed Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley’s Auburn Tigers beating the South Alabama Jaguars in the NIT weren’t the only reason he was in a celebratory mood. The primary reason was the opportunity to work alongside Dick Vitale, a partnership Chuck had been chasing for thirteen years.

The two icons previously teamed up for an Indiana-Kentucky game earlier this season. But tonight’s First Four event was the first time Vitale covered a tournament game in his entire career of five decades. A hurdle in making that happen was media exclusivity.

As the NCAA Tournament media rights fell in TNT’s and CBS’ realm, the networks didn’t work out a collaboration with ESPN to let Vitale work with Chuck, Kenny, and Ernie in March. Now that Inside the NBA is licensed to ESPN, the Disney/ABC executive, Tim Corrigan immediately fulfilled Barkley’s dream.

“I want to thank ESPN and Tim Corrigan for making this work when we did the Indiana-Kentucky game earlier in this season,” Barkley said, specifically noting the efforts of ESPN’s executive vice president of production.

For Barkley, the chance to call the Texas vs. NC State game with Vitale was about more than just basketball. It was about honoring a man who has beaten cancer four times and continues to embody the spirit of the sport. “Dicky V acknowledges what basketball means to him. If you don’t appreciate the life we’ve had because of this ball… there’s nobody [who] exemplifies loving basketball more than Dicky V. Man, we’re so lucky,” Barkley told Lefkoe.

This cross-network appearance is expected to be one of the most-watched segments of the First Four. Fans’ prediction also came true as Dickie V did his signature move and planted a smooch on Chuckster’s bald head. Talk about a dream come true for Sir Charles.