Charles Barkley has been open about how he doesn’t want to work until the day he dies.
Which is why some eyeballs were raised when the legendary NBA television analyst reportedly agreed to a 10-year deal worth north of $100 million with TNT last October.
But now, Barkley, 60, is making his intentions clear: He won’t be finishing out the massive contract, signed less than a year ago.
“There’s no chance in hell I’m gonna be working when I’m 70. Zero,” Barkley said during an appearance on the SI Media Podcast With Jimmy Traina. “But [Turner Sports] said, ‘Hey let’s just make people think you’re gonna hang around.’
“I’ll be honest with you. The only thing that keeps me up at night is trying to figure out when’s the best time to walk away. Because the one thing you don’t want to do is stay too long.
“What’s interesting is, I can’t believe I’ve been doing this sh–t 23 years,” he continued. “That’s what’s crazy. I mean, that’s a long time. So what really keeps me up at night, to be flat-out honest with you, and I don’t know the right or the wrong answer, is when’s the best time to walk away?”
The grandfather of two, Barkley spoke on wanting to be around when they grow older rather than working.
“I will tell you this, two of my mentors are Ernie Johnson and Clark Kellogg,” Barkley said during the podcast appearance. “And they told me being a grandpa was gonna be the greatest thing in the world. And let me tell you something, they are right.
“I mean, little Henry and the little girl, she’s new. Henry is 16 months, and little Charlie is like five months, and it’s the best thing that ever happened to me by far in my life. Henry’s starting to walk and run, and Charlie’s just still obviously a newbie, but when they’re 8, 9, 10, I wanna be around them. But like I say, I won’t be around when they get older.
“Like I said, I am not even worried about death. I’m not morbid, but I want to spend time with them while I can, and that’s my main motivation.”
Barkley has been an analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” since 2000.
The Basketball Hall of Famer has worked with Johnson and Kenny Smith since he came on the show.
Shaquille O’Neal joined “Inside the NBA” in 2011, forming what has become one of the most beloved studio shows in sports television history.
In January 2022, TNT signed Draymond Green to potentially take over Barkley’s seat on the famous studio show.