Charles Barkley has set a standard for sports analysts across television. Perhaps the greatest among sports analysts, Barkley has recently signed a massive deal with Turner Sports. He has signed a decade-long nine-figure contract with the sports media. His contract with TNT could earn him a salary between $100,000,000 and $200,000,000. Anybody with this handsome salary would know the basics of diplomacy to keep the job safe. However, Barkley is built differently. In a recent interview, he even admitted to falling asleep on set during ‘bad basketball’.
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During a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards, Barkley was caught sleeping. Shaquille O’Neal showed the picture after Chuck started to give his take on the game. However, the former 76ers player took his revenge. He also showed a video of Shaq sleeping during the Eastern Conference First Round game between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks. Take a look at the YouTube video below by ‘NBA on TNT‘.
Charles Barkley admits to sleeping on set watching bad NBA games
Barkley has always been one to speak his mind. Perhaps, one of the reasons that he signed with TNT, is that the company allowed him to be himself. When he was asked if he routinely falls asleep on the set, he directly admitted to it. He said that if it is bad basketball, he decides it’s nap time. “I just fall asleep like just sitting there watching like ‘oh man this is just bad basketball,‘” admitted Barkley.
Ernie Johnson, the host of NBA on TNT, perhaps best summed up what it’s like to work with the NBA legend, during an interview with 60 Minutes. Johnson said that when it comes to Barkley, he speaks without filters and sometimes people don’t like it.
“For Chuck, it is like I am gonna let it fly if you don’t like it, tough. We will start the show and Charles will look at me and say ‘I gotta get something off my chest’. It could be something that involves world peace, or the Brooklyn Nets, or he could be upset that his plumber showed up late and he just has to get it off his chest.”
When asked about the reason, fans want to see him on TV, Barkley said that people like him because he is honest and fair. He also added that, unlike other TV personalities, he doesn’t have a hidden agenda while he is in front of the camera. However, to think that Charles treats all matters lightly couldn’t be further from the truth.
When it comes to the African-American community, gun violence, or human rights, a different side to Chuck shows itself. ‘Sir Charles’ knows how to spice a show up. However, he is also a pro at using his platform to address more important matters as well.
Charles Barkley doesn’t want to die next to Shaquille O’Neal
Before signing his current 10-year contract with Turner Sports, Barkley was adamant about retiring. He had previously said that once his contract was over, he would be 61 years old. In Feb 2022, in a media conference call by TNT, Charles said that he ‘doesn’t want to die working on TV next to Shaquille O’Neal’.
“I just don’t feel the need to work until the day I die. I don’t, man. I’ll be 61 years old if I finish out my contract. And I don’t want to die on TV. I want to die on the golf course or somewhere fishing. I don’t want to be sitting inside over [by] fat-ass Shaq [waiting] to drop dead.”
Perhaps Shaq himself best predicted that the TNT analyst was not going anywhere. While he said that the crew needed him, he also candidly said that Barkley does it every time and it is a routine. He ultimately signed another 10-year contract and is here to stay.
