Charles Barkley has set an end date for his run on “Inside the NBA”: the 2026-27 NBA season will be his last, and he says Ernie Johnson plans to retire with him. The announcement is drawing widespread attention because it points to the simultaneous departure of two of the program’s best-known figures.
The news was reported by The Athletic, The Hollywood Reporter and OregonLive. Barkley’s announcement means viewers will have one more NBA season with him and Johnson before both step away from the show. The pair’s retirement plans have made Barkley a trending search as fans look ahead to the final season of their on-air partnership.
When will Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson retire?
Barkley and Johnson are expected to retire after the 2026-27 NBA season. The Hollywood Reporter described Barkley as retiring alongside Johnson after that season, while The Athletic reported that the upcoming campaign will be the final one for both men on “Inside the NBA.”
That gives the program a defined closing point for their current run. Rather than leaving the timing open-ended, Barkley has identified the next NBA season as his final one on the show and has also disclosed Johnson’s plans. OregonLive reported on Barkley setting the retirement date and revealing what Johnson intends to do.
The retirement announcement does not mean the two have already left the program. They are expected to remain part of “Inside the NBA” through the 2026-27 season, which will now be viewed as their final campaign together.
Why is Charles Barkley trending?
Barkley is trending because he announced his retirement from “Inside the NBA” and linked it to Johnson’s departure. The news combines the end of Barkley’s television run with the end of a long-running partnership, giving fans a specific season to anticipate as their farewell.
The announcement also stands out because Barkley did not present the retirement as a distant or undefined possibility. He identified the upcoming NBA season as his last and said Johnson would retire alongside him. That clarity has prompted interest from basketball fans and sports-media audiences following the future of the show.
The Athletic’s report, published by The New York Times, framed the 2026-27 season as the final season for Barkley and Johnson on “Inside the NBA.” The Hollywood Reporter likewise reported that Barkley plans to retire alongside Johnson after the season ends.
What will happen to “Inside the NBA” afterward?
The show’s future after the 2026-27 season has not been confirmed in the reports. Barkley’s announcement establishes when he and Johnson plan to leave, but it does not disclose whether “Inside the NBA” will continue, change its lineup or take another direction after their departures.
For now, the confirmed news is limited to the retirement timeline. Barkley and Johnson are expected to remain on the program for the upcoming NBA season, followed by their planned retirement after the 2026-27 campaign. Any decision about the show beyond that point would be a separate development.
That uncertainty is part of why the announcement has generated so much attention. Fans know when the current era is expected to end, but they do not yet know what the program will look like without Barkley and Johnson.
What does the final season mean for viewers?
The 2026-27 season will serve as the last scheduled season for Barkley and Johnson on “Inside the NBA.” Viewers will have one more campaign to watch the pair before their planned retirement, according to coverage from The Athletic, The Hollywood Reporter and OregonLive.
Barkley’s decision to announce the date well before the season concludes also gives the retirement a clear focus. Each appearance during the upcoming campaign will come with the knowledge that both men intend to leave after it ends. Their final broadcast, however, has not been specified in the reports.
For the moment, the story is straightforward: Charles Barkley says he is entering his final season on “Inside the NBA,” and Ernie Johnson is expected to retire alongside him. The next NBA season will be their last scheduled run together on the program.