by Miguel Mike Medina
Basketball would feel so empty without the ‘Inside the NBA.’ It’s been the home of TNT since 1989. TNT is currently in a bidding war with NBC and other platforms such as Amazon. It’s going to be a somber day when the NBA won’t be on TNT anymore. It’s the best sports show on the planet. The chemistry between Ernie Johnson Jr, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaq is phenomenal and unpredictable.
Unpredictability is one of the reasons why the show has been successful for all of these years, When Charles Barkley arrived in 2000, the show took off. He’s the star of Inside the NBA because of his personality and always willing to tell the truth. However, the quarterback and motor of the show is Ernie Johnson. You can keep Shaq, Chuck, and Kenny on the show, but it will never be the same without Ernie. He knows how to deal with big personalities like Shaq and Chuck. His preparation and professionalism are an inspiration for a Sports Writer and fan like myself. I’ve been following Inside the NBA since 2000. Basketball is better when it’s televised on TNT and NBC (when NBC used to cover the NBA from the 90s through the early 2000s).
TNT and NBC should have the right to broadcast NBA games, not ESPN, Amazon, or any other platform. The NBA is great on TNT and NBC (as long as they bring back the classic theme music).
We don’t know what the future holds for Inside the NBA. We might as well enjoy the ride while it’s still here. Barkley could be a free agent if TNT loses the NBA to NBC. Ernie is not going anywhere. He will be staying at TNT. In addition, he covers Baseball on TBS.
All good things will come to an end at some point. When it comes to NBA on TNT, I refuse to accept it because of those cast of characters.