Charles Barkley calls out ‘cheap’ TNT before delivering heartfelt message to Dick Vitale at NCAA Tournament

Mar 18, 2026 - 13:00

Charles Barkley has hit out at national broadcaster TNT.

The NBA legend turned analyst has joined TNT for their coverage of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, more commonly referred to as March Madness.

Charles Barkley has fired aim at his employer TNT over security

Alongside long-time sportscaster Dick Vitale on the sidelines for the First Four matchup between the Texas Longhorns and NC State, Barkley spoke to Bruce Pearl back in the TNT studio.

There, he sent a jab – albeit a playful one – in the direction of his employers, accusing them of being cheap when it comes to security systems.

“One of my prerequisites for working on this game was that I didn’t want to be in the studio with you,” Barkley said.

“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. You can go into Kenny’s and Shaq’s lockers and steal anything. 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.”

Pearl’s controversial comments on Miami (OH)

These comments appear to have been made in jest toward Pearl’s previous comments over Miami (Ohio) making it into the 68-team March Madness bracketology.

The RedHawks enjoyed a 31-0 undefeated regular season playing in the Mid-American conference, but were not a lock to get into the tournament and pursue their dreams of winning a National Championship.

“Miami of Ohio, here’s the deal: Are we going to select the 68 most deserving teams? Or are we going to select the 68 best teams?” Pearl, a former head coach of Auburn, had said back on March 2.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 30: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers reacts against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half in the South Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at State Farm Arena on March 30, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) — Bruce Pearl formerly coached Auburn before becoming a broadcaster with TNT

“If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami of Ohio is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country.”

These comments sparked some backlash, with RedHawks Athletic Director David Sayler firing a ferocious response on X (formerly Twitter) in retaliation.

“@coachbrucepearl, you are flat out wrong about @MiamiOH_BBall when u say we would finish last in the Big East,” he wrote.

“The disrespect is awful, and you should not be near a TV studio covering this sport when u show your true colors! Even slipped in a ‘we’ when talking about Auburn, nice work!”

Fortunately for Miami (OH), they have a chance to enter the tournament when they go up against SMU in their First Four contest on Wednesday, where the winner will face No. 5 seed Tennessee.

Barkley’s frustrations and special message for Vitale

As for Barkley, the comments he made are likely routed in some truth over his frustrations over TNT losing the media rights to the NBA, which saw the iconic ‘Inside the NBA’ show with Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith and Ernie Johnson licensed to ESPN.

Inside the NBA was licensed to ESPN from TNT when the latter lost their media rights to the NBA

TV sportscaster Dick Vitale — Barkley gave Vitale a heartfelt message about getting the opportunity to work with the veteran sportscaster

This deal saw TNT acquiring the rights to Big 12 football and college basketball games.

Since the move, though, Barkley has been vocal in his belief that the crew haven’t been utilized anywhere near enough, despite previous comments about not wanting to be ‘overworked’.

He even called for the network to fire him back in January.

But Barkley has always been a polarizing figure, and the network knew what they were getting when they hired him.

That didn’t stop him from sending a heartfelt message to colleague Vitale, as he achieved a goal of finally getting to work with the 86-year-old.

“I’ve been trying to get this for 15 years, to work a college basketball game with you,” Barkley told Vitale.

“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.”

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