1. Charles Barkley has said a few times over the past year or so that he plans to retire when he turns 60. The 58-year-old co-host of TNT’s Inside the NBA reiterated his plan on Tuesday and expounded on why he wants to hang it up.
“I'll be 61 when I finish out my contract,” Barkley said on a TNT conference call to promote All-Star Weekend. “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 next to old fat-ass Shaq and drop dead.”
While that’s a very valid reason to want to retire, I don’t believe for a second that Barkley will walk away from Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith when his contract runs out. When you are part of the greatest sports studio show of all time, you just don’t bolt when you have a lot left in the tank.
Everything about Inside the NBA is perfect. The members of the cast genuinely love each other. Fans love the show. The players love the show. And Barkley can pretty much say whatever he wants, a true rarity in this day and age.
Even for a guy like Barkley, it would be hard to walk away from all of that.
The show also isn’t a heavy lift for Barkley. Inside the NBA airs once a week during the regular season. The playoffs are a grind, but I’m sure TNT would be willing to work on some scheduling things with Barkley if it meant keeping him in the fold.
Barkley joined Inside the NBA in 2000; he has done the show for a long time. However, I would be stunned if the run doesn’t continue for many more years.
2. Turner announced Tuesday that Kevin Harlan will call the NBA All-Star game alongside Reggie Miller and Dwyane Wade at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on TNT.
In addition, TBS will air an alternate feed featuring Johnson, Barkley, O'Neal, Smith and Draymond Green.
3. Chris "Mad Dog" Russo made his first regular appearance Wednesday with Stephen A. Smith on First Take. It went just how I imagined. Tons of yelling about nonsense, which led to entertaining and hysterical television.
4. Tuesday morning, new Sixer James Harden gave Joel Embiid lessons on the step-back jumper at practice.
Tuesday night Embiid attempted the move, but it did not go well, and it ended with TNT's Ian Eagle hilariously saying, "That is not allowed."
5. Every Super Bowl story line gets beaten into the ground, but the fact that Eric Weddle played such a big role for the Rams after coming of the street is pretty wild.
6. Recent SI Media Podcast guests include Boomer Esiason, Bryan Curtis, Roman Reigns, Joe Buck and Jim Nantz. Check out episodes now and subscribe to the podcast. You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Stitcher.
