Charles Barkley has co-hosted the fan-favorite program Inside the NBA for over two decades now. As of late, the corporate waters have been a bit rough as of late, though, as Inside is nearing cancellation. Amid that drama, Barkley has been vocal about his displeasure with the way his bosses have handled the situation. Now, it would seem that the former Phoenix Sun has even more issues with his employers at the network, which was founded by Turner. Specifically, Barkley was real about how he feels his professional growth has been stunted.
2018 saw the former NBA MVP launch his production company, Round Mound Media. Since then, the brand has reportedly been somewhat stagnant. However, Charles Barkley is now re-launching the brand in collaboration with EverWonder Studio. The basketball hall of famer recently appeared on The Jim Jackson Show, during which he discussed his big business move. When asked by the eponymous host if this decision was influenced by the network’s fight for the NBA rights. Barkley then proceeded to reveal his long-held issues:
Well, to be honest with you, I’ve been disappointed in Turner for a long time, to be honest with you. Because this should have been done three years ago, where I had more television production stuff out there. You know, they haven’t been a great partner. They’ve been a great TV partner as far as my basketball career. I mean, I love the Turner family as far as my basketball stuff. But, as far as my television production…it should have happened probably five years ago. I should have probably 20, 30 projects.
It should be specified that Turner Broadcasting is technically defunct, as just about all of its assets are now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The 11-time NBA All-Star further emphasized his feelings (as shared on YouTube) about the negative way he believes his production career has been impacted:
Let me be clear, I’m not gonna be on TV. My job is to help other people become successful But Turner has not been a good partner for me, because I should have been way ahead of where I am now. And, now, Jeff came into the picture and hopefully he can take my company to the next level.
The Jeff who’s being referred to is Jeff Zucker, who used to work with Sir Charles at WarnerMedia and headed up both Turner Sports and CNN. Zucker now oversees RedBird IMI, which is backing Round Mound Media, per Awful Annoucing. It should also be noted that TNT Sports has a first-look deal with RMM, which assures its involvement in this endeavor. Only time will tell how that collaboration persists.
Charles Barkley’s aim to expand his production company coincides with his decision to walk back his retirement plans. This past summer, Barkley’s announcement shook fans, who were already reeling over the fate of Inside the NBA. Not only has the ex-Houston Rocket chastised for Warner Bros. Discovery for allegedly not taking care of business, but he also called out the NBA. Barkley claimed the league was eyeing money over its fans after WBD reportedly matched Amazon’s offer for the broadcast rights to the league.
This latest string of comments regarding his relationship with his bosses exemplifies Charles Barkley’s continued tendency to not mince words when he feels strongly about something. It’s evident that he’s passionate about Inside the NBA as well as his Round Mound Media banner. Personally, I’m intrigued to see what the future holds for the long-running sports show as well as Barkley’s personal brand.