We all knew it was coming. For over a year, the writing has been on the wall that TNT and the NBA were parting ways. But on Tuesday night, reality hit hard as the legendary Inside the NBA crew took their seats for the final time. All the flashbacks of the laughter, the insights and the late-night magic ran down. At the center of it all stood the heartbeat of the show, Ernie Johnson delivering one of his most beautifully crafted speeches. But beneath the grace, there was some disappointment. A hint of bitterness that seemed to subtly involve Adam Silver.
There were fans all over to witness Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson take on the final episode of the regular season. The 68-year-old choked while speaking his heart out, “One of the most gratifying things about the whole process is this we start the NBA on TNT back then in 89, and then we became synonymous with the league. For the fans out there who they think NBA and they think NBA on TNT. That’s why it hurts tonight. To know that’s gone after this next playoff run and that’s the business of basketball, I guess.”
His words didn’t just sum up the history of the show, they captured the bond it built with basketball fans. For Ernie, it was definitely more than just a show, and for fans, TNT and the NBA were practically a package deal. Then there was another side to it. “I will say this, no time for bitterness. It is time for appreciation,” the 68-year-old said.
February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson Jr. after the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
TNT has been a long-time partner of the league, but when they couldn’t match the terms offered by Amazon, things took a turn. The situation even escalated to the courtroom, with TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, reportedly suing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league officials, accusing them of misinterpreting the contract’s language. It’s not just the chaos that Ernie was probably pointing to with his message, but also the harsh truth of the job losses that come with it. However, he didn’t want to bring that up at that moment. So, in a way he saved Silver.
NBA rights loss turns out to be costly for TNT employees
All the focus has been on the NBA’s big new 11-year deal with Amazon, NBC and ESPN. The Inside the NBA crew? Looks like they’ll be settled as their show will air on ESPN and ABC. But what about the employees behind the scenes– the ones who’ve kept the show running all these years? Not everyone gets to follow the stars to a new media house. The NBA’s decision has just turned their lives upside down.
Over a hundred employees are losing their jobs. And Adam Silver? He said he felt for them. “I will say directly from me the people that seem to be most impacted right now — the folks at Turner Sports — I apologize that this has been a prolonged process,” he said last year during the first game of the NBA Finals series, according to The Athletic. He even claimed that he has a close relationship with Ernie Johnson and Co but also mentioned that he understands the pain of the TNT employees.
“It’s not just the (on-air) talent, of course. I mean, there are hundreds of people who are involved with what I still refer to as Turner Sports, who’ve been longtime friends and colleagues, and no different at the other networks,” Silver added. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to the business side. And that’s the part that stings the most. As for the Inside the NBA crew, don’t worry, they’ll be back next season. Maybe the lights go out, but the legacy will shine on.
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