It will be the end of an era at the end of the 2026-27 NBA season as Ernie Johnson, the longtime host of ‘Inside The NBA,’ announced his intent to step away from the show at the end of the year. He made it clear that he is not retiring, he’s just scaling back from his current duties. As the NBA world reacted across social media, commissioner Adam Silver penned his thoughts on Johnson’s legacy with the show.
“Few people have shaped the way fans experience the NBA as profoundly as Ernie Johnson. His brilliance as a broadcaster is matched by his character, compassion and generosity, which have been evident throughout his 37 years as host of ‘Inside The NBA,’” Silver wrote in a prepared statement. “We are grateful for Ernie’s extraordinary impact on our league and look forward to celebrating him during his final season.”
After spending the first 36 years of its tenure on TNT Sports, from 1989-2025, ‘Inside The NBA’ made the move over to ESPN since last season amid the league’s reconstruction of its media broadcast deals. Ernie Johnson made the move over to ESPN along with ‘Inside The NBA’ mainstays Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal.
Johnson first joined the show in its second year in 1990, and has been there ever since. A full-time second member of the panel wasn’t added until 1998 when Smith took that role, and then Barkley joined as the third member in 2000. O’Neal’s addition as the fourth panelist came ahead of the 2011-12 season.
During its tenure, ‘Inside The NBA’ has won 19 Sports Emmy Awards and is considered one of the top sports shows on air.
The post Adam Silver reacts to Ernie Johnson’s ‘Inside The NBA’ announcement appeared first on ClutchPoints.