NBA legend Charles Barkley has revealed that he learned about Inside the NBA’s move to ESPN through messages from the network’s employees, rather than receiving an official announcement from TNT.
Barkley explained that he was at home on a Friday night when several ESPN personalities unexpectedly contacted him to welcome him to the network.
At the time, rumors about the show’s future had been circulating, but he had not received any confirmation.
“So this true story. I’m sitting at home on a Friday night. I get a text because all the rumors in the air. We didn’t know anything. I’m sitting home on a Friday night.”
The Hall of Famer said Scott Van Pelt, Brian Windhorst, Elle Duncan and Bob Myers were among those who reached out, leaving him confused about what had happened.
“I get a text from Scott Van Pelt, Brian Windhorst, Elle Duncan, and Bob Myers welcoming me to the family. I’m like, ‘What family?’”
The host responded with a similar question.
“What are you talking about?”
Barkley said he was still trying to understand the situation when TNT finally contacted him approximately 90 minutes later.
“‘What are you talking about?’ And then about an hour and a half later, I get a call from TNT. They’re like, ‘Well, the story broke.’”
Barkley expressed frustration that the network had not informed him and his colleagues before the news became public.
“I said, ‘Well, you probably could have gave us a heads-up.’”
The host suggested that TNT executives had already known about the arrangement before Barkley received the call.
“Yeah. You’ve known for a couple days.”
Barkley agreed and criticized the way the transition was communicated, arguing that the show’s personalities deserved to hear the news directly from their employer.
“Yep. I said, ‘You traded us to ESPN and we had to hear about it on the internet. That’s just not the way you do business.’”
