It looks like Charles Barkley is in a hurry to add ‘former’ to another one of his professional titles. The Auburn legend, Hall of Famer, and television analyst has just reaffirmed his intention to retire from broadcasting after the 2026–27 season. Chuck also revealed what life after retirement will look like. Notably, there would be one constant even in the next act, something tied to what he once called his “best decision.”
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“I feel great, man. I’m looking forward to this last year,” Barkley said of his final Inside the NBA season to Auburn Tigers on AL. “TV has been great to me. I’m going to take a step back from public life. I’m going to always come to Auburn, though. I want to make that perfectly clear.”
Auburn has always been close to Chuck’s heart. He even amended a part of his will and designated a $5 million endowment for scholarships targeting Black students. Every year, he returns to host fundraisers for the athletics program, and you’ll see his emotions run high when the Tigers are in the NCAA Tournament.
When Barkley represented them on the court, he led the Tigers to their first winning season and first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984. He was also named SEC Player of the Year. Over three seasons, Chuck became a household name, averaging 14.1 points on 62.6% shooting, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. Auburn retired his No. 34 jersey in March 2001.
Barkley later admitted that he chose Auburn over Alabama because he really wanted game time, and that it was “the best decision” of his life. Even years later, when he visits the school, Chuck feels like he is part of a family reunion. But while Sir Charles and Auburn remain inseparable, the NBA legend revealed that moments when we’d get his unfiltered commentary will become rarer.
“People ask me, I said, ‘Yeah, I’m stepping back from public life after this year,'” Barkley said. “It’s been a great run. Been a great journey. I thank everybody for the support all these years. But I’ll be 64 years old, and Ernie asked me to stay a couple more years, and last year was one, this year is two. But I feel really good. This is more like a… it’s going to be more like a celebration.”
Barkley’s comments double down on revelations from an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast earlier this month, where he candidly discussed his retirement plans and his close bond with longtime host Ernie Johnson. Chuck made it clear that his broadcasting future remains tied to Johnson’s timeline.
“Me and Ernie are a package deal,” Barkley revealed to Simmons. “So right now, unless Ernie changes his mind, next year is my last year 100 percent.”
Barkley said he had originally planned to step away from sports broadcasting at age 60, but he generously agreed to extend his broadcasting tenure amid structural changes from TNT to ESPN to ensure his behind-the-scenes crew members would retain their livelihoods.
Following the groundbreaking licensing arrangement, Inside the NBA just wrapped a landmark first season on ESPN, retaining not only the original Inside Guys: Chuck, Ernie, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny “The Jet” Smith, but also the original production team in Atlanta. Yet amid the sporadic schedules, both fans and Chuck heavily criticized ESPN for how it handled their appearances (or lack thereof). He repeatedly dared the Disney-owned network to fire him, too.
Ernie had asked Chuck to commit to two additional seasons to smooth the transition. And now, with the 2025–26 season serving as year one, the upcoming 2026–27 campaign marks the final year of that agreement.
Even though Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports recently mentioned that Ernie’s plans to retire are “still up in the air,” Chuck appears resolute that this is his final season behind the desk and is rightfully treating it as a victory lap.
Bryan Curtis of The Ringer even joked about Barkley’s retirement admission, writing, “Congrats to Sir Charles on his fourteenth retirement from television.”
Barkley has been around the basketball scene for a long time. He joined TNT and became part of the ‘Inside the NBA’ show in 2000, which has gone on to win 21 Sports Emmy Awards. Chuck has also won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Analyst multiple times. His panel has often come under scrutiny for its lack of seriousness and its brand of humor, but Barkley has defended it.
“How many people actually know enough about basketball for us to X-and-O them from 7 to 2 in the morning?” Barkley said earlier this year. “We hope we have a great game, but we have an obligation to entertain the people, too. Do people really want to see us four dummies sit there and talk about P&Rs, blitzes, over/under, and things like that? I want people to have fun watching basketball. Period.”
From guiding Auburn’s program culture to commanding national television audiences from studio desks, Barkley’s final season on Inside the NBA is poised to mark the end of one of sports broadcasting’s most extraordinary careers.