Charles Barkley Gets His Wish: More ‘Inside the NBA’ on ESPN This Season

ESPN is expanding the Inside the NBA television show, announcing a greater number of episodes for the upcoming season. Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith will continue hosting the iconic studio show, which has been licensed from TNT Sports in exchange for a package of Big 12 football and basketball games.

Last year, there were only 20 regular-season dates for the show, with significant gaps in the early part of the season. Barkley, one of the show's regular cast members, had previously expressed frustration over the limited airtime. "We’ve complained, we’ve only been on ESPN four times in three months," he said in January. "I wish we had been on more during the first half of the season."

Barkley has also hinted that this will be his final year on the show, stating, "I'm looking forward to this last year. TV has been great for me. I'm stepping back from public life." Despite Barkley's potential retirement, basketball fans will benefit from increased exposure to the legendary broadcaster and the popular program during the 2022-2023 season.