TNT makes big announcement about ‘Inside the NBA’ crew
May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Charles Barkley prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
America’s favorite TV quartet is officially running it back for several more years to come.
TNT announced Monday that their famed “Inside the NBA” crew of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Ernie Johnson have all agreed to long-term contract extensions with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports.
THE FELLAS ARE BACK!
The #InsidetheNBA crew will stay together for many years to come after signing long-term contract extensions with WBD sports. pic.twitter.com/X3l5oBuitc
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 17, 2022
“Our partnership with the NBA is very important to us and this long-term agreement with the ‘Inside the NBA’ team is recognition of their significance to that relationship,” said WBD Sports Chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser in an official media release. “‘Inside the NBA’ epitomizes the creativity and innovative spirit we’ve established throughout our successful, long-standing legacy with the league.”
“Inside the NBA” has now spent over 33 years on the air. Meanwhile, the widely recognizable team of Barkley, O’Neal, Smith, and Johnson has been together since 2011, effectively becoming The Beatles of sports television.
This news is an especially pleasant surprise when it comes to Barkley, who, at 59 years old, had recently hinted that he could be retiring soon. Instead, Barkley now gets a new deal that Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports is for ten years and over $100 million.
The “Inside the NBA” crew has continued to provide television gold, even as recently as last postseason. Now we can look forward to more of their one-of-a-kind hijinks through the turn of the decade.
