Basketball Hall of Famer Will Retire from Broadcasting After 2024-2025 Season

One of the most entertaining sports analysts — known as the “Round Mound of Rebound” during his playing days — is calling it quits. Following Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics (3-1) and the Dallas Mavericks (1-3) on Friday, June 14, the Space Jam (1996) star Charles Barkley announced that he will be leaving his co-host position on Inside the NBA behind for retirement after one more year of service. That coincides with his original contract coming to an end after the 2024-2025 season. However, Barkley did sign a new 10-year deal back in 2023, but he said during an appearance on the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast (per Sports Illustrated):

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer broke the news that he would be retiring, after the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season, during the Finals’ post-game coverage. Flanked by former players Grant Hill and Steve Smith, rather than his fellow Inside the NBA cohorts (Ernie Johnson, Kenny “the Jet” Smith and Shaquille O’Neal), Barkley said:

“I have made the decision myself. No matter what happens,
next year is going to be my last year on television.
And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude,
but I’m going to pass the baton at the end of next year.”

Barkley continued:

“I hope the NBA stays with TNT
[…] I’m not going to another network, but I’m going to pass the baton to Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you, Steve [Smith].
But next year, I’m just going to retire after 25 years.
And I just wanted to say thank you.
And I wanted you to hear it from me first.”

The Round Mound of Rebound’s Legacy

It’s easy to compare Charles Barkley to a leading character in one of the best all-time sports films, in that his unique skills and talents on the basketball court helped him achieve one of the greatest real-life stories any athlete could ever hope for. Barkley became an All-American, who spent his college years at Auburn University, and the 1984 SEC Player of the Year was taken with the No. 5 pick overall in the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

While Barkley never won an NBA championship, he was a five-time First-Teamer and played in 11 consecutive All-Star Games. While playing with the second of his three teams (76ers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets), Barkley was honored as the regular season’s MVP in 1993. Unfortunately, that Barkley-led Phoenix squad ran into Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals that year.

During his 24 years in broadcasting, Barkley has been nominated 10 times for the highly coveted Sports Emmy. The former NBA great has won the award for Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst a total of five times (2012, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2024). During college basketball’s magical March Madness tournament, Barkley and his Inside the NBA colleagues — hall-of-fame broadcaster Ernie Johnson and Kenny “the Jet” Smith — often provide commentary and analysis for those NCAA games, too.

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Arguably, Barkley’s most well-known pop culture contributions came as a member of the Dream Team, which won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Plus, cinephiles and Bugs Bunny fans will recognize “Sir Charles” from his role in Space Jam (1996). It should also be noted that the opinionated Mr. Barkley has said that Space Jam is “arguably the greatest sports movie ever” (per The Late Show with Stephen Colbert). Barkley has also revealed why the LeBron James-led Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) needn’t have been made.

According to CNW, Charles Barkley enjoys a net worth of $60 million, at the time of this writing. However, FOX Sports Australia reports that Barkley’s new 10-year contract with Inside the NBA is worth approximately $10 million a year. But if something doesn’t change drastically, Barkley is still retiring after the 2024-2025 season.