Inside the NBA officially ends on TNT with…
An period of “Inside the NBA” has officially come to a close.
The widespread basketball show ended its run on TNT after the Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Knicks and Pacers on Saturday.
The show, which has aired on TNT since 1989, will probably be proven on ESPN next season, as Warner Bros. Discovery misplaced the rights to broadcast NBA video games.
Turner will still produce the show by licensing it to ESPN.
Warning: Graphic language
Ernie, Kenny, Chuck and Shaq log out for the NBA on TNT for the final time. 💔😭“I’m proud to say for the last time, thanks for watching us. It’s the NBA on TNT.” -EJ🎥 @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/7ww5w87nwy— Danny Bennett (@ActualDannyB) June 1, 2025
“Inside the NBA” indicators off for the closing time May 31. Screengrab via X/@awfulannouncing
Before Thursday’s Game 5, Shaquille O’Neal went on a passionate rant about the show’s previous on TNT and future on ESPN.
“There’s an old saying, when something passes away, something is reborn,” O’Neal mentioned on the set before Game 5. “Yes, it is the end of “Inside the NBA” on TNT, but it’s a new starting for us. I’m glad we’re still collectively on whatever community we go to.
“And whatever network we’re coming to, we’re bringing the pain. Just letting you know right now. OK, I know everybody’s sad that, ‘Oh, it ain’t gonna be the show.’ The show is still here, baby. You can never kill the four horsemen. We coming, and we coming to take spots. We coming to kick ass and we coming to take names. And we doing it our way,” he continued as his colleagues Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley cheered him on.
“You know, all the sadness about that show. We coming with a whole brand new show, and we don’t care who in our way. We coming to kick ass and take names. The name changes but the boys are here. We them boys.”
Things received emotional for the crew during their closing remarks Saturday, with all 4 of the commentators thanking TNT and trying ahead to working for ESPN, along with some members throwing around expletives during the dwell broadcast.
Charles Barkley is pictured during an “Inside the NBA” phase May 31. Screengrab via X/@awfulannouncing
“It’s been a great run, been an honor, Chuck love you like a brother I will still whoop your ass,” O’Neal mentioned. “I’m glad were sticking together. Even if the network changes, the name stays the same.”
“To [ESPN] we are not f–king around,” O’Neal closed with, which was met with widespread applause from the Indiana crowd.
Smith echoed O’Neal’s assertion, dropping the second f-bomb of the evening.
Shaquille O’Neal is pictured during an “Inside the NBA” on May 31. Screengrab via X/@awfulannouncing
“This has been a magnificent ride, and as Shaq said, we ain’t coming to f–k around,” Smith mentioned.
Barkley took his time to thank everybody who has helped him at TNT over his 25 years with the community.
“Some people have had kids that I’ve seen go to prom, graduate college and now they have newborns,” Barkley mentioned. “I’m so lucky and blessed, and I want to thank TNT for giving me a magnificent life.”
The remarks closed with Johnson preventing back tears while saying the closing sign-off of “Inside the NBA” on TNT.
“I’m proud to say for the last time, thank you for watching us, this is the NBA on TNT,” Johnson mentioned while dropping the mic.
On Tuesday, Johnson, the longtime host of the program, was requested on “The Dan Le Batard Show” about what the closing broadcast could be like and if issues have been going to get emotional.
“After 35 years of this relationship, having it end, it does get emotional,” mentioned Johnson, who has hosted the show since 1990. “We’re not going to be over the high, but we’re definitely going to have some people to thank.
Kenny Smith is pictured during an “Inside the NBA” phase May 31. Screengrab via X/@awfulannouncing
“I haven’t really thought about what I’m going to say that last night, and so it’s not like you want to prepare something. I think we’ll all have something to say, but I think we also realize that for the four of us, it would be really weird, Dan, if this were the end of us together, and it’s not going to be because the show’s going to continue, just on another network on an ABC/ESPN kind of combo. We’re gonna have the same folks we see running camera and producing the show, that’s gonna be the same. It’s just gonna run at a different place. But if this were the end of the four of us together, I would want this series to go 29 games.”
The show, recognized for its forged of characters and analysts over the years, has had mainstays in former NBA stars Barkley, O’Neal and Smith, all of whom have turn into arguably as memorable for their banter and shenanigans in the studio as their play on the court.
Barkley, not ever shy about sharing his opinions, beforehand advised Outkick he was never going to “change my personality” and mentioned no one at ESPN was going to inform them what to do.
And while he later mentioned it was an “honor” to work at ESPN, he did inform his new home one factor this week about the face of the NBA debate.
“Hey, ESPN, I love you guys,” Barkley mentioned. “Don’t try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA. The face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joker (Nikola Jokic), and Giannis (Antetokounmpo). You can’t give it to people, they have to take it. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken it.”
Barkley and the relaxation of the crew will now be half of the ESPN panorama and will probably form more basketball debates.
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