Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is still in talks with CNN about a potential weekly show, but only for the opportunity to work with Gayle King, he tells DailyMail.com.
The NBA on TNT co-host has been considering moonlighting on CNN, which is also owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., but not because he’s seeking any more exposure.
‘I’m not looking to get on TV anymore,’ Barkley told DailyMail.com on the Manhattan streets last week. ‘I just got so much love and respect for Gayle. She’s the only reason I’m even considering it.’
The New York Post reported in February that Barkley was considering a CNN show with King, who remains under contract with CBS.
‘I would only consider because of Gayle,’ the 60-year-old Barkley told DailyMail.com. ‘She’s the best.’
Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is still in talks to with CNN, but only for the potential opportunity to work with Gayle King , he tells DailyMail.com
The New York Post reported in February that Barkley was considering a CNN show with King, who remains under contract with CBS
In January, CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht reportedly offered King a weekly interview show on his ailing network.
Licht brought King to the CBS morning show when he was an executive producer for the network. The pair have remained close since, according to reports.
Barkley recently signed a 10-year deal with Warner after flirting with the controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour.
The Olympic gold medalist ultimately turned down LIV Golf, but says he remains supportive of the fledgling circuit.
‘That’s over with,’ Barkley said. ‘I hope they do well. I’m a big LIV Golf fan.’
LIV Golf is currently struggling to draw an audience on the CW Network, here its first two events of the year reportedly drew 0.2 and 0.14 ratings in the key 18-to-49 demographic.
Barkley also spoke about the ongoing NCAA Tournament, predicting that Alabama – the rival of his alma mater, Auburn – will win its first national championship in basketball.
‘I think Alabama’s the best team,’ Barkley said. ‘I’m picking them to win the whole thing.
‘And I hate to do it to,’ said the former Auburn Tigers star.
Jamea Harris (left), a 23-year-old mother, was shot to death near the University of Alabama campus on January 15. Crimson Tide forward Darius Miles (right) and another man, Michael Lynn Davis, have been arrested and indicted on capital murder charges in her death. Miles has since been kicked off the team
Brandon Miller will look to deliver Alabama their first national championship in basketball
Barkley did acknowledge the cloud hanging over the Crimson Tide: the arrest of Alabama forward Darius Miles for the shooting death of 23-year-old mother Jamea Harris near the Tuscaloosa campus on January 15.
Miles, who has since been kicked off the team, and another man, Michael Lynn Davis, have been arrested and indicted on capital murder charges in Harris’s death.
Alabama star and NBA prospect Brandon Miller allegedly brought a gun to Miles that night that was later used by Davis in the fatal shooting, according to police testimony.
Tuscaloosa chief deputy D.A. Paula Whitley declined to tell AL.com last month why Miller wasn’t charged, saying: ‘That’s not a question I can answer. There’s nothing we could charge him with.’
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Miller has continued to play, and star, for the Tide this season, and Barkley believes he’s the ‘best player in the country.’
‘I mean, obviously he’s got the personal stuff going on with what happened, but he’s the best player in college,’ Barkley said.
Barkley also addressed the ongoing banking crisis in the US, warning the audience not to put too much money into any bank.
‘You should never put a lot of money in the bank,’ Barkley said in the wide-ranging interview. ‘That’s just stupid. If you got a good financial advisor, you should never put a lot of money in the bank. The bank is using your money. You should use your own money. You should never keep a lot of money in the bank. That’s just stupid.’
Speaking of money, Barkley addressed the growing trend of college players getting paid for use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) – something that was forbidden by the NCAA during his days at Auburn.
A customer is escorted into the Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara on March 13
Barkley is in favor of players profiting at the college level, but admits the new landscape isn’t fair for all players or teams.
‘All the kids aren’t making money,’ Barkley said. ‘Some of the kids are making money. That’s a problem with the NIL. All the kids are not gonna be making money. Some of them are gonna be making money. I’m a little concerned because it’s going to bring some resentment from other teammates and things like that. And then it’s gonna be a bidding war on some of the smaller colleges every year. I’m glad these kids are making money, but it’s not the best system in the world.’
Before the interview ended, Barkley was asked about being starstruck, which he admits still happens from time to time.
In addition to being starstruck by Denzel Washington – a meeting he described as ‘incredible’ – the former Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets star said he hopes to meet actor Edris Elba.
‘I’m a big fan of his,’ Barkley said. ‘He’s probably the next guy on my bucket list.’
