Charles Barkley Gives Bizarre Reason to Stay Away from TNT Studios During March Madness Coverage

It was a special night in college basketball as Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale shared the broadcast booth for the First Four.

Charles Barkley Gives Bizarre Reason to Stay Away from TNT Studios During March Madness Coverage

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Charles Barkley humorously criticized TNT's security system, claiming everyone has the same access code.
  • He expressed excitement about calling his first NCAA game with Dick Vitale, highlighting their long-standing relationship.
  • Barkley voiced support for Miami (OH), arguing they deserved a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament despite their schedule.

Former NBA player and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has been a prominent studio analyst for the NCAA Tournament. Known for being himself on Inside the NBA, Barkley joined forces with the legendary Dick Vitale and Brian Anderson as part of the commentary crew.

They covered the game between the Texas Longhorns and North Carolina State Wolfpack. It was a nail-biting finish as Texas clinched the win after draining a shot with just one second left on the clock.

Before the game, Barkley spoke to Bruce Pearl, a former American college basketball coach, in the TNT studio, and took a hilarious jab at his employers for being cheap with their security systems.

One of my prerequisites for working on this game was that I didn’t want to be in the studio with you. Man, some people are looking for you, Bruce, and I didn’t want to get beaten up because I was sitting beside you. Let me tell you something about TNT security. We all got the same damn code. If you want to go in Shaq, Kenny, and my lockers and steal something, feel free. That’s how cheap they are. Those people at TNT, they are so secure with security; they gave everybody the same damn code.

Charles Barkley on TNT security

Charles Barkley has always been a vocal figure who never shies away from speaking his mind. This is not the first time Barkley has taken shots at a TV network. He took shots at his new Inside the NBA broadcasters, ESPN, as well.

A couple of months ago, Barkley criticized ESPN due to the lack of Inside the NBA shows and scheduling conflicts. The show has made a name for itself over the last three decades and was being broadcast by TNT till the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The reason Barkley said he did not want to be in the studio with Bruce Pearl is that Pearl struck some nerves with his comments that Miami (Ohio) RedHawks don’t deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament. The comments led to some controversy, and hence, Barkley did not hesitate to poke fun at Pearl. However, his latest jab at TNT is definitely going to catch a lot of attention.

Charles Barkley on calling the game with Dick Vitale

Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale called their first NCAA game together on Tuesday night. Vitale is a legendary college basketball broadcaster for ESPN and is well known for his tenure since 1979.

Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale
Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale (Image credits – TDT News)

During their broadcast alongside Vitale, Barkley described the first night of March Madness as “one of the greatest nights of life.

I’ve been trying to get this for 15 years, to work a college basketball game with you. We finally got that done, but this is our first March Madness. It is an honor and a privilege. I want to thank you for everything you did for basketball, everything you did for cancer research, and we’re going to have some fun tonight, brother.

Charles Barkley message to Dick Vitale

Vitale had earlier declined a standing invitation from CBS and TNT Sports to call an NCAA Tournament game. However, a phone call from Barkley changed his mind as the two share a strong relationship with one another.

Charles Barkley is rooting for Miami (OH)

Charles Barkley’s latest comments on Miami (OH) would have rubbed Akron Zips fans the wrong way. He said the Miami Redhawks did not have to play the NCAA tournament in Dayton in the first place.

During the broadcast, the former MVP said:

I want to make one thing perfectly clear. Miami of Ohio got screwed also too. They should be a higher seed. They went 31-0. I know Bruce Pearl, who I love, disagrees with me. But I’m not a big proponent of strength of schedule. It’s not their fault everybody in their conference sucks. They only played the schedule they were dealt. They should be in the main draw. I don’t normally root for teams, other than Auburn, to be honest with you. But I’m rooting for Miami (Ohio) to advance in this tournament.

Charles Barkley on rooting for Miami (OH)

The Akron Zips went 29-5 and won their third consecutive MAC tournament title to earn the league’s NCAA Tournament automatic bid. The RedHawks are scheduled to face SMU on Wednesday, March 18.

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