Charles Barkley Doubles Down on ‘Inside the NBA Retirement’ but Makes One Exception

It appears that Charles Barkley is truly stepping away from basketball. For 16 years, Barkley played in the NBA. He was a one-time NBA MVP and an 11-time All-Star. Then, after the 1999-00 season, Chuck called it a career and stepped away from the hardwood. However, he couldn't stay away for long, as he ended up securing a role as an NBA TV personality.

For 26 years, Barkley has appeared on our TV screens, entertaining basketball fans with his humorous antics alongside co-hosts Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny 'The Jet' Smith, and Ernie Johnson of Inside the NBA. However, on Sept. 3, Chuck announced his retirement plans on The Bill Simmons Podcast. Fast forward to the present day, Barkley seems to be set on his retirement after doubling down on the idea in an interview with AL.com.

"I feel great, man. I'm looking forward to this last year," Barkley said. "TV has been great to me. I'm going to take a step back from public life... It's been a great run. It's been a great journey. I thank everybody for the support throughout all these years."

Apparently, this isn't the first time Barkley has wanted to retire from TV. Chuck revealed that he made one exception for his good friend Ernie after Ernie asked to stay a couple more years before calling it quits.

"I'll be 64 years old. Ernie asked me to stay a couple more years," Barkley added. "Last year was one. This year is two. I feel really good. This is more like a celebration because I've had the greatest life a person could have."

For Barkley fans out there, you only have until the end of the 2026-27 season to make the most of Barkley's screen time on Inside the NBA.

Ernie Johnson Set to Retire With Charles Barkley

An era has truly come to an end for Inside the NBA. Now that we know that Charles Barkley is retiring soon, that's already 1/4 of the iconic hosts leaving the show.

Apparently, it gets worse, as one of the other hosts, Ernie Johnson, also plans to call it quits after Barkley makes his departure from the show.

Barkley revealed on The Bill Simmons Podcast that while it was Johnson who convinced him to stay an extra couple of years on the show, apparently, he also intends to stick around for as long as he does.

"I get a call from Ernie, who's the person I trust and respect the most," Barkley shared. "He says, 'Chuck. They got this deal on the table, or ESPN is going to take our show. Would you consider keeping working?' I said, 'Well, Ernie, not really.' He said, 'But everybody can keep their jobs.' ... I was like, 'Ernie, how long do you want to stay?' He said, 'Let's keep their job for two more years.' And so I was like, 'I'll stay for two more years.' He said, 'Chuck, I'm planning on retiring in two years.' So, me and Ernie are a package deal."

Looks like half of the Inside the NBA squad will be gone by the end of the 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, the remaining two, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith, will remain with the show for a longer period. Shaq recently signed a five-year contract extension, while Kenny plans on signing another multi-year extension.