Ernie Johnson delivered an emotional sign-off on Saturday night for the final installment of “Inside the NBA” on TNT.
Johnson and the rest of the “Inside the NBA” crew covered Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.. The Pacers won the game 125-108 to secure a spot in the NBA Finals.
Since the Pacers closed out the series, the broadcast wound up being the final one for “Inside the NBA” on TNT. The Emmy-award winning show is moving to ESPN/ABC beginning next season.
At the conclusion of the broadcast, Johnson appeared to fight back tears while bidding farewell to TNT.
“If I had written the script, the NBA and TNT would be together forever. It’s not gonna happen,” Johnson said. “While I was disappointed and I was sad, I was not bitter. We know how business works. Gratitude is the operative word for me. … Thank you. We have been honored to do this. We look forward.
“The four of us are gonna be together. Our production crew is gonna be together. It’s gonna be that same bunch. We’re still gonna be shooting that show in Atlanta. It’s just gonna air somewhere else. The craziness that you’ve seen, the nonsense and the foolishness and the top-notch basketball analysis, all of that stuff’s gonna be on ESPN or ABC next year, not TNT. For that, we’re sad. But I’m proud to say for the last time: Thanks for watching us. It’s the NBA on TNT.”
Ernie Johnson with an emotional sign-off from 'Inside the NBA' on TNT. 🏀📺🎙️❤️ #NBA pic.twitter.com/bQnGdPvtOe
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 1, 2025
Johnson has been with TNT since 1989, which is when “Inside the NBA” launched. He has hosted the show for all 36 of its seasons, and the current panel of Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal has been together since 2011.
The reason “Inside the NBA” has been so great for years is that the show features a perfect collection of personalities and TNT gives them the freedom to say what they want. ESPN is known for keeping its on-air talent far more tight-lipped, which is why many fans are concerned.
Shaq delivered a vulgar message on Saturday night about the show’s move to ESPN, so he does not seem too worried about “Inside the NBA” losing its fastball next season.
