“Inside the NBA” analyst and former NBA player Charles Barkley said he will not join the LIV Golf series as a broadcaster.
“I want to thank Greg Norman and LIV for their interest in me,” Barkley told the New York Post. “I wish those guys great success and nothing but the best. But, in my best interest, and being fair to Turner — because Turner and basketball have given me every single thing in my life. It is best for me to move on and I’m staying with Turner for the rest of my TV career.”
Barkley, 59, said that his decision to end contact talks with the LIV is unrelated to it being backed by Saudi Arabia.
“That had nothing to do with it,” Barkley said. “I told you, ‘I don’t like those words – ‘sports washing’ and ‘blood money.’ I don’t like those words at all because every country, including the United States, have stuff going on that they need to improve upon.”
Barkley told Golfweek Thursday that his ” No. 1 priority is Turner” and he wasn’t going to “keep Turner in limbo.”
Barkley has three years and $30 million left on his TNT contract and he said on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he makes an additional $10 million in endorsements.
“I’ve not talked to Turner, to be honest with you,” Barkley said. “I think they were nervous because everybody was throwing around all these numbers. I would obviously never try to get them into a bidding war. I have not talked to Turner.”
The basketball Hall of Famer has said previously he’ll likely retire from “Inside the NBA” at the end of his current contract.
“That’s going to be interesting,” Barkley said. “I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I’ve been doing it 21 years already. First off, dude, I’m almost 60 years old now. I’m very aware of my body disintegrating, like all the older guys’ bodies are disintegrating. I would like to be on vacation somewhere instead of sitting in Turner’s studio as I decay. I don’t want to decay on television.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charles Barkley ends LIV Golf talk: ‘Don’t want to decay on television’
