Charles Barkley is already a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and a renowned analyst for TNT, but he may be poised to take on a new role in the future: primetime television news host.
According to Puck’s Dylan Byers, CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht is in negotiations with Barkley to have the hoops great on a “news-oriented primetime show.” The show would have the Inside the NBA analyst interview “newsmakers, journalists, and other guests about various topics of the day.”
Barkley has become a fan favorite for his candid, and oftentimes blunt, perspective on the sports world and the NBA in particular. Alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, the 59-year-old has worked for TNT as a pundit on Inside the NBA since 2000 and has garnered critical acclaim, including four Sports Emmy awards.
However, Barkley’s wide range of opinions and takes often spans outside the world sports, which could lend itself well to a new role on television. Byers reports that Barkley would get the chance to continue his responsibilities at TNT, where he signed an extension last year after a brief courtship from LIV Golf.
Though Barkley may be one of the figures that Licht is considering for a new show, he’s not the only one. Byers reported last week that CBS morning show host Gayle King is also on the CNN executive’s shortlist for the job, among others.
When asked to comment on the negotiations, CNN spokesman Matt Dornic told Byers, “Chris [Licht] is having conversations with dozens of culturally relevant individuals from the worlds of news, sports, entertainment and comedy.”
