“Don’t Cheat Me Out Of The $1 Million”: Charles Barkley Sets The Record Straight On How Much TNT Paid Him

Charles Barkley may officially be on his way to retirement now. The NBA legend has said on multiple occasions that this is likely his last year with TNT, which means that he will no longer be a part of Inside the NBA past this upcoming season. As heartbreaking as this is, there is still one good year left. And the former Phoenix Suns star is set to earn quite a bit of money from it, as Dan Patrick was forced to learn the hard way.

During his time on Patrick’s show, Barkley was as candid as ever. As his host was looking to provide context to his guest’s situation, he mentioned that The Chuckster could earn approximately $30 million if he chose not to retire. However, the 61-year-old side-stepped the remark, simply saying that if he did come back, it would not be about the money.

Before this, Dan talked about how much he would be receiving during this upcoming NBA season for being on Inside the NBA, which resulted in a pretty funny interaction.

Dan: “You got one more year making $20 million!”

Charles: “Hey, 21 million Dan! Don’t cheat me out of the $1 million!”

Indeed, $1 million is not an amount anyone would want to see deducted from their paycheck, regardless of how much they may earn. That said, as Patrick mentioned, Barkley also stands to earn significantly more if he continues to be an analyst. And as it turns out, while the Round Mound of Rebound has announced multiple times that he is looking to retire, he has not stopped taking calls.

Barkley still speaking to all 3 networks

At the moment, NBC, Amazon, and Disney are in the pole position to acquire broadcasting rights to the NBA. While Barkley may currently be with Turner Sports, he did also reveal that he is taking calls from these companies, saying this on The Dan Patrick Show, 

“For the last three months, I have spoken to all three networks who got the NBA going forward… I’m gonna listen. I’d be stupid not to take their call.” 

And so, while it is still very likely that Chuck will retire, there is still a chance that he decides to continue being an analyst for the NBA. But as to where he will go, your guess is as good as our own.