Ernie Johnson, After 37 Years Hosting 'Inside the NBA,' Announces Final Season
Seven Lights
Ernie Johnson announced on Wednesday that this will be his last season hosting “Inside the NBA” on TNT, the program he has led for 37 years. He is 70.
“This will be my last season, totally my decision. It’s just time,” Mr. Johnson said in a video on social media. He said preparation for the show had grown harder to sustain: “I’ve always vowed that if it ever became more of a challenge than it is a joy, I know it’s time to step away. And now, after 37 seasons, it’s time.”
He disclosed a contributing factor — a heart condition. “For nearly two years now, I’ve dealt with heart issues,” he said, noting bypass surgery 14 months ago and that he is “still trying to get this thing to beat exactly the way it should.” Doctors had not told him to stop working, he emphasized. The experience, he said, made him treasure “even more, every second” with his wife of 44 years and his five grandchildren.
The change is a narrowing, not an exit. “Just to be clear, I’m not retiring — just cutting back,” Mr. Johnson said. He will continue to cover March Madness and other projects for TNT and CBS and has started a production company aimed at “feel-good stories in sports.”
His desk mates, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, will share the final months of his run. “It’s been an honor to share so many nights, decades actually, at the desk with my brothers,” Mr. Johnson said. Mr. Barkley, 63, has also decided to step back from the program. “It’s time to go. It’s been a great run,” he told Mad Dog Sports Radio this month, recounting that Mr. Johnson had asked him a couple of years ago to stay two more seasons. “I would definitely not do the show without Ernie.”
Mr. Johnson said he appreciated “the leadership at TNT and ESPN for allowing the show to continue.” He framed the change as a beginning rather than an ending: “This is, by no means, the end. It’s just a turning of the page.”