Is This NBA Broadcaster Retiring? What We Know So Far

Published: June 4, 2025

By Mallory Mattingly

NBA analyst Charles Barkley announced that he plans to retire from broadcasting in two years, even though he has seven years left on his contract with ESPN.

While on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Barkley said, “I said I’d work for two more years, and that’s what I agreed to…I actually have seven years left on my contract. There’s no way I’m working seven years.”

“I’m gonna be a good soldier for Kenny, Ernie, Shaq and the people I work with…” he reiterated. “I actually have seven years left on my contract. But the best I can do is two years.”

Charles Barkley on his contract with TNT/ESPN & how many more years he wants to work:

“I’m gonna be a good soldier for Kenny, Ernie, Shaq, & the people I work with… I actually have 7 years left on my contract. But the best I can do is 2 years.”

Thoughts? 🤔

Via. @dpshow pic.twitter.com/OuhdOfw4Pd

— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) June 2, 2025

The former NBA star turned TV analyst got his sportscasting start on TNT 25 years ago.

“I got lucky and made one of the best decisions ever,” Barkley said in a recent Instagram video. “I just want to thank every single person who has been a Turner with me the last 25 years.”

During that time, the TNT community became his family.

“So if you’re with people that long, they are your family,” Barkley explained. “And I just want to thank everybody at Turner. For the last 25 years, it’s been an honor, and I’m grateful and thankful.”

INSIDE THE NBA, the show Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith hosted on TNT, will move to ESPN next season. TNT, meanwhile, is “still working on what its NBA coverage will look like without rights to the games themselves,” ClutchPoints reported.

Whether Barkley stays for two years or all seven, he is grateful to work at ESPN.

“Also, to ESPN, it’s going to be an honor and a privilege to work for you guys. You guys are the number one sports network in history, and I, I’m excited for it,” he said. “You guys got some tremendous talents over there. I’m looking forward to co-working with those guys.

“But like, I say, Man, I just want to say thank you to the NBA, every coach I’ve had, every player I play with, for giving me this magnificent life that I’ve had, I am so lucky and blessed,” he continued. “I’m lucky and blessed, and I want to thank TNT. And even though we are never saying TNT Sports again, I want to thank TNT for giving me a magnificent life.”