Charles Barkley has undoubtedly had the time of his life on ‘Inside the NBA’ on TNT over the years. He has become the most beloved member of the cast, as he always keeps it real while also making the audience laugh with his excellent humor. Despite all the success, it seems there is a real possibility that he might well be on his way out.
Reports emerged last week that Barkley could be headed to LIV Golf and during a recent appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show”, Barkley stated that one particular offer would definitely get him to join them.
“Somebody say Phil (Mickelson) got $200 million. I’m like you take that money. Somebody say Dustin Johnson got $150 million and Bryson (DeChambeau) and Brooks (Koepka). I’m like $150 million to play golf 15 times a year? I have no problem with those guys taking that money and if they offer me something crazy, I’m gonna take it too.” When asked to define crazy, Barkley added, “Well, consider how much money I made now, it would take a really huge number for me to give up my life right now.”
After the two agreed that Barkley makes around $20 million via TNT and endorsements, Patrick asked him what he’d do if they tripled it, to which Barkley replied, “If they triple it and next time I’m on your show, the first question better be ‘Charles what are we celebrating tonight?’ that should be your first question. If they triple what I’m making now, your first question should be ‘Hey Charles, where’s the party tonight?'”
Considering Barkley’s current yearly income of around $20 million as per this interview, tripling that would amount to around $60 million a year and that is something he would definitely accept in a heartbeat. He did, however, set a clear deadline of Thursday for them to give him the offer he wants as he doesn’t want to keep TNT in limbo.
If the offer does come, then the question would be whether he’d be allowed to keep both roles and that would seem unlikely, with Barkley saying he hasn’t had a discussion with TNT on the matter yet. If Charles does leave the show, then it is going to be a big loss for basketball fans, but considering his passion for Golf and the money that might be on the table, you can’t blame him for considering the switch.
