Barkley: NBA2K can use my likeness if they donate to retired players

Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal appear as halftime panelists in NBA 2K17, but the most famous TNT analyst isn't in the game.

That's no accident: NBA 2K17 apparently approached Charles Barkley about using his likeness, but they didn't meet his price. Barkley wants the wildly successful gaming franchise to support the National Basketball Retired Players Association.

"The reason I am not on 2K is because they would not give me money. They make a lot of money on that game. What I said to them was we as players have not done enough for the retired players association," Barkley told Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated.

"We told the 2K people that our job is to take care of the older players. I don’t even want any money. I said, 'Let's come up with an amount of money for you to give to the retired players union.' They said, 'Well we get all the guys the same.' And I said, Well, we ain't all the same.' I told them they make a gazillion dollars on that game. They said, 'Well we are not going to do that.' So I'm not giving them the right to use my license until they come up with a fair number.

"I'm not trying to be a pig or greedy. They should donate the money to the retired players. If they would give a million dollars a year to (the) retired players union, they can use my likeness."