Charles Barkley has been at the center of most of the discussions about what will happen to TNT’s legendary “Inside the NBA” studio crew when the network officially loses the NBA rights, with Shaquille O’Neal likely at the forefront.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the parent company of TNT, has sued the NBA. The company claims that the league violated its “matching rights” by favoring Amazon’s offer over its own.
The NBA claims that WBD failed to comply with the terms of Amazon’s streaming-first package for its Prime Video service and that the matter is the subject of litigation.
Should this matter be resolved either through a settlement or a verdict in the NBA’s favor and TNT exits the NBA business, there will be a ravenous appetite at Amazon, NBC and even ESPN for TNT’s celebrated stable of studio reporters and game commentators.
Barkley, who recently announced a long-term commitment to TNT Sports with or without the NBA, had previously stated that he would have an option to opt out of his contract with the broadcaster if it did not renew his NBA rights.
Industry sources believe that a similar clause is included in O’Neal’s contract, 52.
If Barkley is the top target in a potential free-agent frenzy at the broadcast networks – if he even works on another studio show after TNT – then O’Neal is the clear No. 1A.
He is a four-time NBA champion who has enjoyed tremendous success in the business world since his retirement, as well as being a compelling and entertaining broadcaster.
There is also the Q-score element.
“Shaq is one of the few monoculture sports superstars still in the business today. Shaq and Charles (Barkley) are like Snoop Dogg. Everyone from your grandmother to your little kid knows them and loves them,” Nate Jones, an NBA agent with Goodwin Sports who works closely with Damian Lillard and actively monitors the media landscape, told The Post.
“It’s very hard for sports stars to break through like these guys in this fragmented age of social media, so they’re really valuable to sports broadcasters and their brand partners. Shaq is almost a decade younger than Charles, so he probably has a little more potential as a sports personality than Charles at this point.”
In the scenario that TNT loses the NBA, Amazon and NBC will both build new NBA studio shows from scratch.
ESPN should also consider signing O’Neal, as the NBA Countdown has seen a number of changes in hosts and analysts over the past decade.
In some ways, O’Neal would fill a void similar to that left by ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro, who spent big money to lure Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from Fox Sports to host “Monday Night Football.”
Another possible option for O’Neal: The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that TNT is considering the idea of continuing the “Inside the NBA” panel as a general sports show even if it loses the NBA rights.
Other studio analysts at TNT who may be in the running for roles at other networks include Candace Parker and Draymond Green (who is still an active player with the Warriors).
Last week, Jamal Crawford, who was part of TNT’s Tuesday studio crew last season, announced that he is currently a media independent agent.
Chris Webber, who left his job as TNT’s color commentator in 2021, could also be in line for a position as a studio or game analyst next year.
Kenny Smith’s contract status is unknown, but he too would likely take on a new studio role in 2025 if TNT exits the NBA business.
