Barkley to return from leave on Thursday night

Charles Barkley will return from his leave of absence and be back on the air Thursday night during TNT's NBA coverage.

Barkley was arrested Dec. 31 in Scottsdale, and his leave began Jan. 9. Police said the 45-year-old NBA Hall of Famer had a blood-alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit in Arizona.

Barkley, a TNT studio analyst, was forced to miss the network's coverage of All-Star weekend in Phoenix.