Will this be the year that Charles Barkley is in NBA series? The question has been asked years by fans hopeful that Barkley’s likeness will be included in the game. Barkley hasn’t been in the NBA 2K series for year, and in a past interview, he publicly stated his reasons (see video clip below).
Why Isn’t Charles Barkley in the NBA 2K Series?
Charles Barkley has refused to be in the game because 2K hasn’t given money to the retired players fund, In the clip, Barkley explains that he’s “never going to change [his] mind” on it and that he’d be “happy to do the game if they helped the retired players.”
Through their licensing agreement with the NBA, 2K Sports is able to put player likenesses of all active players, but have to pay separately for retired players and legends. The exact amount of compensation that Barkley wants isn’t publicly known. Some sources say he requested $1 million annually for the retired players’ association.
Hopefully, Charles Barkley and 2K can come to some type of agreement before the launch of NBA 2K25.
