Charles Barkley wants to double-dip with his broadcasting talents but sounds unsure if his current employer would allow for it.
“In a perfect scenario, I would love to do both,” Barkley told The New York Post. “I don’t know how Turner’s sponsors are going to feel about it. I know there is going to be some blowback.”
Barkley met with LIV CEO Greg Norman on Wednesday and afterwards, sounded like an offer was imminent. Barkley, in the interview with the Post, sounded very open to joining the LIV Tour. He detailed that he will play in the Pro-Am portion of the LIV Tour’s event in New Jersey.
The report also read that Barkley still has three more years left on his contract with Turner, paying him $30 million over the contract.
“I told [Norman,]” Barkley said, “’Listen, they are making up words, like ‘blood money’ and ‘sports washing.’ I said, ‘We have all taken ‘blood money’ and we all have ‘sports washed’ something so I don’t like those words, to be honest with you.’
Barkley also revealed that when the story got out about him taking the meeting with the LIV Tour, his sponsors did touch base.
“They checked in with me,” Barkley said. “What I told Subway, Capital One and Dick’s Sporting Goods, I said, ‘Wait a minute. I haven’t signed anything. I haven’t met with the guy. Let’s let this thing play out before you all call me all upset.’
“Between the number you just mentioned [$10 million per year] and all my commercials, for me to risk all of that, it would have to be some serious money thrown my way.”
