For nearly 36 years, Inside the NBA gave fans more than highlights. With the banter, comedic moments, with the sprinkle of basketball talks, they quickly found a place in fans’ hearts, becoming a household name. Shaquille O’Neal joined the TNT crew in 2011, bringing his unmatched presence to the already iconic team. Now, with the NBA striking a massive deal with Amazon, Disney, and NBC, the league is moving away from TNT after the 2024–25 season. The $76 billion agreement leaves Warner Bros. Discovery out, and fans everywhere are left feeling like they’re losing a weekly family tradition.
The final episode aired during Game 6 between the Pacers and Knicks, but the emotions began long before tip-off. Even Kevin Garnett couldn’t hide his sadness, writing, “Thx You TNT for The greatness gonna be sadly missed.. Greatest show on …. Love you guys. End of a time… @nbaontnt ON TO THE NEXT .. F’ it…” That message hit home for many. This wasn’t just about a show ending. It was about saying goodbye to something that felt personal and real.
Just a couple of days before the broadcast, viewers caught Shaq wiping his eyes after Ernie Johnson’s heartfelt words. It looked like he was crying. But when the host raised that point during The Pivot Podcast, Shaq flatly refused ever to cry. “No, I wasn’t crying. First of all, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t have emotions”. Reason? One being that his military-style upbringing which shaped him to handle loss. So, what was the crying about? Turns out it was a medical condition! “I have allergies, and my eye leaks a lot. So like right now, it’s leaking, so I was going like this,” he stated. Did he ever not cry? Shaq shared.
He claimed that he had only cried three times in life! “Only cried twice—three times: grandmother’s death, father’s death, and sister’s death. And not because I was sad. Because I forgot to tell them thank you.” Well, whether it’s a tough man act or he is speaking the truth, only he knows, but it certainly looked like he was tearing up during the episode.
Still, he admits the shift to ESPN brings a new kind of worry. “Only thing I’m concerned with is we’re going on a bigger network. Will they be able to handle—handle our shenanigans?” Shaq raised a real question. “Can Charles talk about fat women in San Antonio? Can we talk about people’s hairlines and, you know, make them cut their hair?” Well, those were some solid reasons for concern. As the show signs off, one thing’s clear: this isn’t just a media move. It’s a cultural shift that has left even the toughest legends feeling uncertain.
The crying situation that Shaquille O’Neal denied
Shaquille O’Neal may deny crying, but even he had to admit feeling sad over the show leaving the network. Just a night before Inside the NBA aired its final episode on TNT, emotions overflowed. As Ernie Johnson delivered a tribute to the crew and the network that shaped basketball television for over three decades, Shaquille O’Neal was caught wiping tears. And the cameras didn’t miss it! Shaq, usually the jokester, was visibly moved during the moment.
Johnson’s words were enough to shake even the toughest in the room. “This is really special…This is the greatest family in TV history right here,” he said, his voice full of gratitude. The show wasn’t just about basketball. It was about friendship, memories, and the kind of chemistry that couldn’t be faked. As Johnson went on to reflect, “We start the NBA on TNT back in 1989, and then we become synonymous with the league,” you could feel the goodbye settle in.
Shaquille O Neal In Poland. Shaquille O Neal attends the Hey, This is Shaq Basketball Tournament in Warsaw, Poland, on August 28, 2024. NBA, Basketball Herren, USA legend Shaquille O Neal visits Poland as part of a marketing campaign, promoting his personal brand SHAQ and the latest Reebok collection. Warsaw Poland PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xMarcinxGolbax originalFilename:golba-shaquill240828_npQdx.jpg
Shaq, seated beside his longtime co-hosts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, looked down, trying to hold it together. His large hand moved quickly to his eyes, but not quickly enough to escape the spotlight. For a man who’s often the life of the show, the silence in that moment said it all. He knew this was more than just the end of a season, it was the end of a bond fans had trusted for years.
Johnson continued his farewell by acknowledging what fans everywhere were thinking. “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.” That sentence lingered. Not just in the studio, but across households watching live. Shaq’s quiet reaction wasn’t just his; it felt like all of ours. So what do you think? Do you think Shaq was crying, or is he telling the truth that he didn’t get emotional at all? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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