The saying goes that all good things come to an end, eventually, and such is the case for the famed ‘Inside The NBA’ show. Longtime host Ernie Johnson announced his decision to step down from his current capacity with ‘Inside the NBA’ at the conclusion of the 2026-27 NBA season. Throughout the day, notable figures in the NBA world have been reacting to the news, with the latest, Charles Barkley, being moved to tears as he reflected on Johnson’s legacy, as per ESPN’s SportsCenter.
“We knew the day was coming, it’s still tough. I’ve been here for 26, 27 years, and it’s been an honor and privilege to work with you all this time … it’s been an amazing journey. You’ve been our leader, our unquestionable leader,” Barkley said. “The question I’m asked the most, I’m not gonna lie, most of the time it’s ’Where’s Shaq, where’s Kenny?’ Like I keep them in my damn back pocket. But the question I’m probably asked the most is, ‘Is Ernie Johnson as good a person as he seems?’ And I say, ‘man he’s better than that.’
“I just want to say thank you for being our leader all these years. Even though I knew it was coming, it’s still hard, brother.”
Article Continues BelowErnie Johnson has been the host of ‘Inside The NBA’ since 1990, joining the show after its first year. Kenny Smith joined the show in full-time capacity in 1998, and then Charles Barkley came along in 2000. It wasn’t until the 2011-12 season when the group added a fourth full-time member in Shaquille O’Neal.
During their tenure, the show has won 19 Sports Emmy Awards. It was broadcast on TNT Sports until 2025 when the NBA restructured its media rights deals. Since last season, ‘Inside The NBA’ has been featured on ESPN.