Imagine Ernie Johnson. The stoic voice of Inside the NBA, caught off-guard and fighting for composure, live in front of millions. He’d weather buzzer-beaters and locker-room confessions, but nothing prepared him for the moment his son’s gift opened a floodgate of unnamed sorrow. That gift, and the story of his own father behind it, unfolds 20 minutes before tip-off, when decades of suppressed emotions finally demanded their spotlight.
Speaking of the Philadelphia 76ers legend, Johnson shared a heartwarming story that connected three generations. On The Steam Room podcast, he recounted giving a beer mug as a gift to his father, Johnson Sr., whom he chose as his best man during his wedding. And he had inscribed a special message on it for his father to reflect on their bond. It read, “My best man, my best friend.” He recalled that his son Eric also chose him (Johnson Jr.) as his best man for his wedding. As he received the gift that Eric bought for him as his best man, the TNT host couldn’t hold back the tears.
“When I was Eric’s best man at his wedding about 20 minutes before we went out there for the ceremony he calls me in a room sits me down has something for me to open I open it up and he’s gotten me a beer mug that says “My best man my best friend.” And dude, I was a mess, I was a mess,” Johnson told Charles Barkley, who agreed that Johnson is indeed the best friend that Eric can have!
Mar 31, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Television sportscaster Ernie Johnson during practice for the 2017 Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Married to Cheryl, Johnson Jr. welcomed two kids, Eric and Maggie. The couple also adopted four children, Michael, Carmen, Ashley, and Allison. They are a happy family. But back in 2021, Johnson and his wife were devastated by their son Michael’s passing. The two adopted Michael from Romania in 1991. He was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and, after a long battle, passed away at the age of 33.
Johnson’s mother, Lois Marjorie Johnson, passed away at the age of 94 in 2023. It was tough when Johnson’s sister passed away but he was able to find a hope!
Ernie Johnson mourned the loss of his sister
The last few years had been difficult for Johnson. He lost his mother, son, and sister. He was heartbroken, recounting the memories of his sister. Christine had fought a long battle with cancer and passed away at the age of 72. However, her life had been full of inspiration, as Johnson recalled. She was full of life and passed that on to others through her profession, which was teaching.
A Milwaukee native and graduate of the University of Georgia with a master’s degree, Christine devoted over three decades to shaping young minds as a sixth-grade teacher at Hickory Flat (Flat) School in Canton, Georgia. What she probably never imagined was how she would forever be remembered by her students. The funeral saw a long list of attendees who were close to her, and her students were also present.
Her funeral, held January 4, 2025, became a living testament to her influence. More than 200 mourners—including former students, colleagues, and family—filled the sanctuary, chanting classroom catchphrases and recalling her no-nonsense quizzes that pushed them to excel. One former pupil, now a practicing attorney, approached Johnson to tell him how his sister gave him the self-confidence to conquer every academic level in life. The moment Ernie described as “uplifting my heart when it was heaviest.”
“Had a guy come up to me before the service and said your sister taught me in sixth grade, she said I’ve been through every level of school, including law school, I’ve never had a teacher like her. Had a couple other students address everybody there and talked about how she was their favorite teacher because she challenged them,” he said.
On The Steam Room podcast, Johnson reflected that Christine’s legacy wasn’t just in lesson plans but in life lessons. He recounted her handcrafted quilts and birdhouse-lined garden that offered neighbors sanctuary, and how her fierce yet compassionate teaching style instilled confidence in countless students. It was a lesson in how his sister lived daily, and one of how he now carries forward in both family and career.
The post Ernie Johnson Admits He “Was a Mess” After Son Triggered Decades-Old Suppressed Emotions appeared first on EssentiallySports.