On Friday, former NBA player Charles Barkley announced that he had decided to end his participation in the controversial LIV golf tour. He said he would stay with Turner Sports and continue working as a commentator for the network Inside the NBA.
In an interview with the New York Post, Barkley thanked Greg Norman and his LIV for their interest in him. However, the 59-year-old said it was best for him to leave the tour and focus on his work with Turner Sports. He also said he would continue working as a commentator for the network Inside the NBA.
The announcement comes as several former professional players, including some of the biggest names in the world of golf, have joined the new venture, which is backed by the government of Saudi Arabia. Some prominent players who have joined the tour include Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Louis Oosthuizen.
It was also reported that David Feherty, a former professional player, is expected to join LIV Golf as a broadcaster and leave NBC Sports.
Barkley revealed last week that he was planning on speaking with the company about its new venture. He is currently a co-host of TNT’s Inside the NBA.
“I’m gonna meet with LIV,” Barkley told The Next Round golf podcast.
“To be always transparent and honest, they called me and asked me if I’d meet with them. I said yes. Nothing’s imminent. I actually don’t know everything they want from me or what they technically want me to do. But you have to always look at every opportunity that’s available. So, to answer your question, yes, I’m gonna 100 percent meet with LIV.”
Currently, LIV’s events are being shown on YouTube and its website. However, it has not signed an agreement to broadcast its tournaments on television.
Dan Patrick weighs in
Dan Patrick, a popular radio host, said that if Barkley joined the tour, he might have to leave his job as a commentator for TNT.
“And Charles says he’s going to listen to them, I believe tomorrow night, and decide what he’s going to do,” Patrick said on Tuesday’s airing of The Dan Patrick Show. “And he might have to leave TNT, that’s why this is a huge deal. Charles knows he may have to leave TNT to do this.”
Moreover, Patrick commented that if Barkley decided to leave TNT and join LIV, it would impact the NBA.
“I’m just putting it out there, what I was told this morning. Charles knows he may have to leave TNT,” said Patrick.
“That would be bad for everybody….If Charles Barkley would leave TNT and go to the LIV Tour, that’s a big deal. That’s not growing the game, now you’re taking away from the NBA with this. This has nothing to do with golf, per se,” he explained.
During his appearance at the pro-am event of the LIV Golf tournament held at Trump National in New Jersey, Barkley said that his potential move to the new venture had been discussed with the network’s sponsors.
“I’ve heard from Subway, Capital One, Dick’s Sporting Goods,” Barkley said to ESPN. “At some point I’m going to have to make a decision, plain and simple.”