Inside the NBA will make its much-discussed debut on TNT in just over a month, and there are some changes on the horizon. The show’s initial schedule for the network reveals that it’ll air in a reduced 50-minute timeslot and, after its October 23 broadcast, it seemingly won’t return until coverage of the NBA’s Christmas Day games. Series co-host Charles Barkley has been looking for answers concerning what he and his colleagues can expect. However, Barkley still seems to be content with one aspect of the show’s big move.
Back in late 2024, TNT and ESPN reached an agreement that would allow for Inside to be licensed out to the latter network following the end of the former’s broadcasting deal with the NBA. As part of the deal, the long-running basketball talk show will also continue to be produced from its studio in Atlanta. Charles Barkley discussed the arrangement while appearing on The BetMGM Network (as shared on YouTube). While his show is no longer facing cancellation, Barkley still seems to be contending with some uncertainty:
We’re gonna be, still, doing the show in Atlanta, but I think we’re all kind of like, ‘How’s this thing going to play out?’ I’ve been asked that question a thousand times, I’m like, ‘I don’t have any idea.’ We think our show is going to be similar or the same, but going to another network, we don’t even know how that’s going to work.
During his recent interview, Sir Charles went on to acknowledge that Inside the NBA’s early broadcasts on ESPN. Barkley previously explained that both he and co-host Ernie Johnson were concerned about the show possibly being cut down time-wise. That’s because, as the former Phoenix Sun has mentioned, the best material arrives during the latter portion of the postgame show, where the antics really take shape. The prospect of an altered timeslot is also what had sports journalist Bill Simmons concerned about the network change.
Charles Barkley isn’t all doom and gloom when it comes to this situation, though. During his interview, Barkley gave both TNT and ESPN their props for being able to “salvage” Inside. In Barkley’s mind, this is a “best-case scenario” for the series. He seems to hold that belief in great part due to another factor that was discussed amid the show’s potential cancellation:
The main thing [is] we were able to keep everybody employed, which is the No. 1 priority for me, Ernie, Kenny, and Shaq. And I think we got a best-case scenario, to be honest with you. But like I said, we’re still going to have to figure out how this thing is going to work over at ESPN.
In 2024, shortly after it appeared that Inside the NBA would be canceled, Charles Barkley made some wild statements. A major point that Barkley consistently emphasized, however, was his desire to keep people from losing their jobs. At one point, he even pulled a journalist into an elevator for an unsanctioned interview, during which the Round Mound of Rebound attempted to make his case. Barkley’s desire to save jobs is also what prompted him to walk back his retirement decision.
Although a portion of the band will be sticking together when Inside the NBA returns in October, it’s hard not to think about the changes that lie ahead. Hopefully, Barkley’s concerns (and those of fans like myself) about Inside’s new era will be soothed as time goes on.
