“Gonna Be On LinkedIn”: Charles Barkley Begins Job Hunt, Shaq Goes AWOL as NBC Takes ‘Inside The NBA’, TNT to Deep Waters

Shaquille O’Neal is nowhere to be seen! Generally speaking, it is kind of hard to miss the big man, seeing as how he towers over everyone, not just with his physique, but also his presence. However, that isn’t the case here. The Big Shaq was once again not present for Sunday’s Inside the NBA edition. It is not like the 4x champion to be absent for one of the biggest matchups of the postseason. Yet, his place was filled by ESPN analyst Vince McCarter and it seems like Charles Barkley might have an answer to ShaqFu’s absence. 

As Ernie Johnson was wrapping up the episode with the announcement schedule of the upcoming NBA awards, Chuck asked surprised, “Wait, 2 ‘0 clock tomorrow afternoon?” 

When it was clear he heard right, he said, “We are not doing that are we? Because I am gonna be on LinkedIn tomorrow afternoon.”

By now, you would have formed an idea about the direction this conversation was taking. This isn’t the first the Inside crew has talked at length and in short about the NBA’s media rights deal. Nor is it the first or second time that O’Neal is absent from what could very well be the final episodes of the most loved panel of NBA analysts. 

Comcast, the parent company of NBC, and Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT, are both at battle with each other for the league’s media rights. The former is reportedly offering $2.5 billion and if TNT can’t match the offer, it’s bye-bye to NBA on TNT. 

Under such circumstances, it seems like there is a new fish in town.

Charles Barkley might not have to try his luck on LinkedIn after all

If rumors are to be believed, Amazon, the corporate tech and streaming giant, is looking to hit the jackpot. With no official updates from Silver and the league, all we have are tidbits of information the jovial Inside crew feeds us. And then there was, of course, the cryptic IG post from our own resident master of disappearance, Shaq. 

Regardless, if we were to look at the whole situation from a logical perspective, the idea of separating the foursome of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith is bad for business. This group is one that has a wide-reaching audience and never fails to entertain the viewers. Particularly, the Big Diesel and the Chuckster. The back and forth between the pair of them about anything and everything is one of the most beloved moments of the show. Of course, O’Neal, with his random acts of Shaqness, is another topic altogether. 

Despite it all, the media rights deals still loom like a dark cloud over everyone’s heads. While Barkley seems convinced that there is no chance of a sunny morning, Shaq’s former agent and confidante, Leonard Armato, who recently appeared on Essentiallysports Fancast, has a more positive outlook. 

He spoke of a “wildcard” during the chat and even said, “There’s no other show that even compares to Inside the NBA on TNT.” Well, here’s to hoping that whatever wildcard Armato spoke of is in favor of the general public opinion. As he said, there is no crew like those four.