Charles Barkley plans to retire from television after the 2024-25 NBA season, the former Auburn star announced on Friday night.

During NBA TV’s coverage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, Barkley said he would do one more season of TV commentary, then retire.

A fixture on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Barkley made his announcement with the future of the league on the network up in the air. Next season is the final one that TNT holds the rights to broadcast NBA games, and NBC seems on the doorstep of acquiring the package now held by TNT.

“I really love TNT, all the people that work here, NBA Television,” Barkley said. “You guys have been great to me for 24 years. I just want to say thank you to my entire NBA family. I love you guys. There’s been a lot of noise around our network the last few months, and I just want to say: I’ve talked to all the other networks, but I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT. But I have made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year’s going to be my last year on television.

“And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude, but I’m going to pass the baton at the end of next year. I hope the NBA stays with TNT, but for me personally, I wanted you guys to hear it from me because I’m not doing anymore interviews. Don’t y’all be calling me, nobody calling me. I’m not talking about this again, but I wanted to tell my NBA TV and TNT family, I’m not going to another network, but I’m going to pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you Steve, but next year I’m going to just retire after 25 years. I just want to say thank you, and I wanted y’all to hear it from me first.”

A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Barkley is 61 years old.

Barkley went from Leeds High School to Auburn to the NBA as the fifth pick in the 1984 draft. He played for 16 seasons – the first eight with the Philadelphia 76ers, the next four with the Phoenix Suns and the final four with the Houston Rockets.

Barkley was selected for every NBA All-Star Game from 1987 through 1997; made first-team All-NBA in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1993, second-team in 1986, 1987, 1992 and 1994 and third-team in 1996; and won the NBA MVP Award for the 1992-93 season.

In 1,073 NBA regular-season games, Barkley averaged 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks. In 123 playoff games, Barkley averaged 23.0 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Barkley’s 23,757 points rank 34th and 12,546 rebounds rank 20th in NBA history.

Barkley joined TNT in 2000.

Barkley said he is looking forward to his final season with TNT and the NBA.

“Next year is going to be a great year no matter what happens,” Barkley said.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.