Charles Barkley insists that the imminent decision of the NBA in ESPN will not change the way he behaves … and he is more than willing to be dismissed for having disseminated his opinions.
The NBA icon should join its colleagues “ inside the NBA ” in their passage from TNT to ESPN next season, but will not retain the stricter network.
Instead, Barkley even calls the ESPN bluff and dares them to fire it even before it makes its first appearance in the air.
“I’m not going to change my personality,” he told Outkick when asked if something would change next season.
“They can’t fire me!” I earn too much money to be dismissed. So they cannot dismiss me. First of all, if they dismiss me, they were able to pay me for seven years, and I will leave long before.
“But if they want to fire me, I would like them to do that. The only decision we made is the duration of your time … I don’t worry to get fired. And no one at ESPN will not tell me what to say or do. Period.’
Charles Barkley struck ESPN and dared to fire him before he even started in the air
Barkley was a long -standing host “ inside the NBA ”, which moves from TNT SPORTS
Barkley is a longtime host on “Inside The NBA”, which will go from TNT Sports to ESPN after the latter bought the rights to show the NBA.
The former MVP and 11 times All-Star would have signed a $ 210 million contract over 10 years to be an analyst of the emblematic NBA program in 2022, and there are therefore many years to do.
ESPN has many other shows which will probably be desperate to have Barkley on them, including First Take, Get Up and The Pat McAfee Show, but it seems that he does not intend to do more than he is committed to doing.
“No one is going to tell me what to say or what to do. I get angry. (ESPN) is like: “Lakers are suitors.” I say to myself: “No, they are not.” They know that they are not suitors.
Barkley has poured cold water on its chances of appearing on ESPN sports centers
He even aimed at an ESPN colleague who will be future, noting: “Kendrick Perkins, who does not know his ass as a hole in the wall, he says:” Lakers are suitors. Lakers are suitors ”.
“And I said,” They are not suitors. “And, clearly, if you lose in the first round (eliminatory series), you are not a competitor.
Barkley was very frank on the loss of TNT of the rights to show the NBA, initially claiming that he was going to retire after the news was announced.
He then made his return “to make sure that the people I love and that I work in the past 25 years have obtained a job”.