Tequila and wine helped convince Barkley to stick with TNT
A lot of wining and dining was all it took to persuade Charles Barkley to renew his contract with TNT through the 2024-25 NBA season.
According to Sports Illustrated, TBS president David Levy and other Turner Sports executives traveled to Scottsdale, Ariz., where they wooed Barkley at his home during a six-hour Italian feast during which they polished off $1,700 worth of wine and tequila.
Barkley, who also was feted with a tribute video featuring his TNT co-workers, assured Levy he was coming back the next day during a round of golf.
“My agent never got involved. That’s how much respect I have for David,” Barkley said. “David bought two bottles of wine, two bottles of tequila and we killed them. The money at this stage of my life does not matter. At this stage of my life, I’m not concerned about money.
“I shook David’s hand and said, ‘We got a deal.’ I told my agent, ‘We are not haggling or negotiating. Do the deal.’”
That’s not turrible.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.
