Charles Barkley dares ESPN to fire him: ‘Going to do what I want’

Charles Barkley dares ESPN to fire him: ‘Going to do what I want’

Like the fire-breathing Pat McAfee before him, Charles Barkley is not going to tone down his rhetoric or make claims that he doesn't believe for the benefit of ESPN.Barkley already is daring ESPN to fire him before his first appearance on the network that will take over “Inside the NBA” next season.

Charles Barkley is already daring ESPN to fire him

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Charles Barkley is not becoming an ESPN employee. Just as ESPN licenses The Pat McAfee Show, it will soon license Inside the NBA — the crown jewel of basketball studio shows — starting next season. It’s a win-win after TNT Sports (Warner Bros. Discovery) lost NBA rights, allowing ESPN to air the best basketball show on television without building one from scratch. But if ESPN thinks Barkley will fall in line a…