"I'll be on vacation for four months"- Charles Barkley oozes joy as TNT crew nears offseason
With the NBA conference finals ongoing, Charles Barkley expressed his excitement on taking a vacation once they conclude. Ironically, with both the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks just needing one game each to enter the NBA Finals, the former league MVP also hinted when both series will conclude.
The Dallas Mavericks are 3-0 up against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the other side of the country, the Boston Celtics are in a similar spot, needing just another win against the Indiana Pacers on the road to complete a sweep.
As the 11-time NBA All-Star leaves the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Charles Barkley feels that his work for the 2024 NBA season is nearly over.
"Have a great holiday," screams Barkley in an emptied arena. "“We are one day away from vacation, y’all. I’m in a great mood. One more day, I’ll be on vacation for 4 months.”
The statements of Barkley indicates that he feels that both the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will be sweeping their respective series.
The NBA on TNT crewm which Charles Barkley is a part of along with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal, traditionally ends their coverage right after the NBA Conference Finals.
Charles Barkley airs out his sentiments on the uncertainties about TNT's renewal with the NBA
While Charles Barkley hints that he will be taking a vacation for the next four months, that timeline may become wider, as the network he's working with may not bring their crew back next season when the NBA inks a new deal with rival channel NBC.
The basketball icon has been with TNT for the last 24 years and has witnessed the show grow right before his eyes. However, things may come to an end soon, but what irks Barkley more is the fact that the network has no plans on what to do about the studio staff that has jobs on the line as well.
"We’re just sitting back, waiting on these people to figure out what they’re going to do," said Barkley on The Dan Patrick show (at the 2:53 mark.)
"I’ve actually been with these guys where I’ve spent time with their — they bring their newborns in. They bring their kids in. They come in like when they were in high school, and now they’ve graduated from college.
The NBA's proposed deal worth $7 billion would shift the broadcast distribution to ABC, ESPN, NBC and Amazon. Warner Bros. Discovery has a chance to match the offer, but if it doesn't happen, NBA on TNT will end its broadcast after 35 years.