Charles Barkley is seemingly not in a great mood these days. TNT is set to lose NBA broadcasting rights after the 2024-25 season, meaning that the popular “Inside the NBA” show he co-hosts will be a thing of the past.
Barkley has already gone off on his bosses at Turner Sports for likely losing broadcasting rights.
The Hall of Famer and outspoken media personality is now turning his attention to ESPN. ABC is covering the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. That included Boston’s Game 1 blowout win Thursday night.
Prior to the game in Boston, ESPN aired its pre-game show. A lot of the focus turned to the Los Angeles Lakers and their pursuit of UConn head coach Dan Hurley.
Barkley was having absolutely none of it.
“I’m not going to lie. I love being Dan Hurley. This has nothing to do with being Hurley and good luck with him if you go to the Lakers. But I was so pissed with game one of the finals and they have game one of the Stanley Cup Finals, coming on for them to spend the first hour talking about what if Danny Hurley goes to the Lakers?”
Charles Barkley, via Outkick
It was earlier on Thursday that stunning reports surfaced linking Hurley to the Lakers’ vacant head coach job. The two-time national champion had not been bandied about prior to Thursday, leading to a full cycle of coverage surrounding a potential move to Southern California.
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Charles Barkley Goes Off On ESPN Over NBA Finals Coverage
Chuckster did not stop there.
“I was so pissed yesterday I had to turn my TV off. I’m not going to lie. I’m like this is how stupid they are. Y’all got The Stanley Cup finals and the NBA finals and y’all talk about a team, that’s irrelevant. And I’m like that whoever’s doing that program, I got to be the stupidest, most boneheaded people in the world. I’m like, oh, if he goes, we’ll talk about it.”
Barkley is never one to hold back. He voices his opinion. He has no filter. It’s why the former NBA star is among the most-popular media figures in the sports world today. His take on ESPN’s coverage was no different.
As for a potential move to the four-letter network should TNT lose broadcasting rights, Barkley previously shut that down.
“They’re not gonna work me like a dog,” Barkley said back in May. “ESPN Radio, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes. I mean, HELL NO! As much as I love ESPN, I just turned 61. The notion that I’m going to be working like a dog into my mid-60s, that’s definitely not going to happen.”
That’s probably a good thing after these comments.
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