1. “That’s because them fools on the other network, which we’re going to be working for next year, that’s all they talk about.”

“But y’all are idiots because y’all talk about the Lakers and the Warriors all the time.”

“But that’s because you fools on the other network, which we’re gonna become fools next year when we be working on that network, but Oklahoma City and the Cavs been balling for six months.”

Those lines were uttered by Charles Barkley on TNT’s Inside the NBA on Thursday night during a lengthy rant about the amount of coverage given to the Lakers and Warriors over the Cavaliers and Thunder.

The rant fell flat to me because Barkley knows that ESPN and TNT are in the ratings business. The Lakers and Warriors are always going to draw bigger ratings than the Cavaliers and Thunder, whether it comes to games or discussions on hot take shows, and he knows that.

Taking ESPN to task for overdoing it on the Lakers and Warriors seems a tad disingenuous because TNT would air Lakers and Warriors games over Cavaliers and Thunder games every single week if it could. It’s like the Yankees and Red Sox. Or the Cowboys. You may not like it as a sports fan, but that’s the reality from a business standpoint.

The most interesting part of the fallout from the rants is that it appears the Inside the NBA Twitter account posted it and then deleted it. Hmm…

The bigger story here, though, is that ever since it was announced that TNT would no longer air NBA games, but Inside the NBA would continue next season as part of a licensing deal with ESPN, the entire thing has felt off.

When it was first announced that the NBA ditched Warner Brothers Discovery for Amazon, there was a massive outcry from the world basically to save Inside the NBA.

Then, ESPN saved Inside the NBA (sort of), but the Inside the NBA crew didn’t seem excited. Most of the reaction to the deal focused on negatives (Shaq didn’t have a contract, nobody from TNT or ESPN consulted the crew about the licensing deal, etc.). There wasn’t this outpouring of relief that the show would continue.

Barkley specifically has repeatedly called out WBD for losing the NBA while also cracking jokes about joining ESPN next season.

But are they jokes or is it a passive aggressive way to complain about having his show air on ESPN?

What seems to be causing a lot of confusion with this entire deal is that Inside the NBA is not becoming an ESPN show. Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and Barkley are not becoming colleagues with ESPN talent. ESPN will not have editorial control over Inside the NBA. The show will continue to be produced by TNT people.

There are only two changes coming to Inside the NBA: 1) The show will air on ESPN instead of TNT, and 2) the show, which has aired on Thursdays during its run on TNT, will air on Saturdays and some Sundays beginning with the 2025-26 season.

Is Barkley pissed off that he will have to work weekends next season? Who knows? I can tell you, though, that during one of his appearances on the SI Media podcast, he told me that during the football season, he flies to Las Vegas every couple of weekends. Clearly, he won’t be able to do that next season.

Here’s what Barkley told Dan Patrick just a month ago:

“It’s been very fascinating behind the scenes. There’s been a lot of chicanery going on behind the scenes that I haven’t been happy with. I’m hoping everything works out. It’s been fascinating dealing with all the TNT b.s. this entire time.

“After meeting with ESPN, they made me feel better, but between TNT and ESPN, I just wanna figure out my workload. They haven’t given me a definitive answer because I don’t think they know a definitive answer, to be honest with you.

“The TNT people, they are stupid. They wrote a cease-and-desist letter to Amazon and NBC, and it really pissed me off because, wait a minute. They’re trying to say they traded my show to ESPN. That’s the same as them keeping it. I’m like, I don’t think that’s the way it works. We were having some heated discussions behind the scenes down in Atlanta.

“They sent a cease-and-desist letter to Amazon and NBC saying I wasn’t available. I said that’s not the way my contract reads. Y’all lost the NBA. If I want to leave, I can leave. That was the bone of contention. They were like, ‘no, you’re under contract.’ I’ll take my chances in court and I felt really good about my chances in court. Regardless of what they say, them trading us to ESPN isn’t the same as us being under contract to TNT.”

So is Barkley mad that he has to stay with TNT and Inside the NBA instead of exploring his options (and huge paydays) from Amazon and NBC? Is he mad that ESPN made the licensing deal with TNT, thus keeping him on Inside the NBA, instead of possibly joining Amazon or NBC?

I’m not sure how anyone can say he isn’t.

2. I wrote about popular internet personality and die-hard Detroit sports fan Andy Isaac a couple of weeks ago when he announced he was entering hospice after a battle with cancer. I also spoke about Isaac at the top of this episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina, which you can listen to here or watch here.

Sadly, Andy passed away on Thursday.

To show the impact he had on the sports community, ESPN paid tribute to Isaac on SportsCenter Thursday night.

3. ESPN announced Friday that Stephen A. Smith has signed a new five-year contract with the company.

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that Smith will no longer appear on NBA Countdown anymore as part of the new deal.

Smith will finish out this season on the pregame and halftime shows. He will be off NBA Countdown beginning next season.

4. My new favorite Instagram account comes from a comedian named Danny Goodwin who hilariously and accurately imagines what it would be like if some of today’s sports media personalities covered major events in American history. I highly recommend you check out his entire page and watch various clips, but here’s one sampling of his work.

5. Just a few housekeeping items regarding the column, podcast and other things.

• I had a few people request that I post this column and my podcast on BlueSky, so I’ve begun doing that. You can follow me here to get those things on BlueSky.

• There was a bonus SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast earlier this week with AEW’s MJF who has a match Sunday on the company’s latest pay-per-view event, so check that out if you’re a wrestling fan.

• If you missed it on Thursday, I spoke with ESPN’s Tony Reali about the cancellation of Around the Horn after 23 years.

• I’m going to do a mailbag edition of Traina Thoughts one day next week, so if you have any questions, you can email them to Jimmy.Traina@si.com or you can send them on one of the various social media platforms.

6. The latest SI Media with Jimmy Traina podcast features a conversation with The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis about the latest sports media news. Topics covered include ESPN canceling Around the Horn after 23 years and the status of the show's host, Tony Reali; Jimmy Johnson retiring from Fox NFL Sunday and what Fox may do for a replacement; Hard Knocks’ deal with the University of North Carolina and Bill Belichick falling apart; what the MLB-ESPN divorce means for each company and much more.

Following Curtis, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include Luka Doncic’s impact on the Lakers' watchability, the shocking John Cena heel turn and Sal’s recent experience at Disney World. The segment closes with me reading and reacting to Apple reviews for SI Media With Jimmy Traina.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 69th birthday to Bryan Cranston.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Charles Barkley Seems Far From Thrilled With the ESPN-‘Inside the NBA’ Partnership.

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