Basketball fans can expect to see two NBA legends providing commentary on the sport for years to come.
Hall of Fame power forward Charles Barkley has reached a 10-year agreement to continue his post-playing career as a studio analyst on “Inside the NBA” and other TNT programming, the New York Post reported Monday.
The deal will keep Barkley working with Shaquille O’Neal, another NBA all-timer who has appeared on TNT since 2011.
The finances of the deal haven’t been made public, but it’s expected that Barkley will be paid well above $100 million, possibly approaching $200 million, for a contract that lasts a decade, according to the Post.
The deal would allow him to move to another network or a digital platform if TNT doesn’t renew its contract with the NBA after the 2024-25 season, the report said.
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TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, announced Monday that it had “reached agreements with all four members of TNT’s iconic ‘Inside the NBA’ studio show — Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal — to ensure the team will remain together for many years to come.”
THE FELLAS ARE BACK!
The #InsidetheNBA crew will stay together for many years to come after signing long-term contract extensions with WBD sports. pic.twitter.com/X3l5oBuitc
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 17, 2022
Shaq took a playful jab at Barkley in the announcement.
Are you a fan of Charles Barkley?
“I’m happy for ‘The Godfather’ and Kenneth … is there someone else I’m forgetting?” O’Neal said in reference to Johnson and Smith.
“I’m kidding … love you, Charles. As long as I say, ‘Are you not entertained?’ and the answer is ‘Yes,’ then we’re going to keep this thing going,” he said.
Barkley began his broadcasting career with TNT in 2000, according to Bleacher Report.
The 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player appears on pre- and postgame coverage of TNT’s NBA broadcasts as well as a halftime show.
The 59-year-old Alabama native spoke about his relationship with his co-hosts in Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement.
“We’re all a big family — Ernie, Kenny and Shaquille are brothers to me — and I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for them and all the amazing people who work on our show,” he said of his broadcasting career.
“I’m not gonna lie, though, this is a life-altering deal … and I’m blessed to be able to do live television for a living,” the NBA legend said.
Barkley had three years remaining on an existing contract that paid the longtime broadcaster $10 million a year, according to the Post.
He previously suggested he was considering retiring at the end of his previous deal, the Post reported.
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