There are plenty of shows on television and the internet that are based on analyzing the NBA. However, there are very few that are as big as Inside The NBA. It is during halftime and directly after NBA games on TNT and consists of some of the top voices in the game.
Inside The NBA consists of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith as the main analyzers of the game. These four have created incredible chemistry over the years and are loved by viewers. However, with TNT on the brink of losing the rights to air NBA games to NBC, the series will officially end after the 2024-25 season.
Where it All Began for Inside The NBA
The show began in 1989 when TNT got the rights to air NBA games for the first time. Originally, the hosts for the show were all rotating, with different guests coming on to discuss the previously occurring games. This format worked well and people enjoyed it. However, everything changed when Ernie Johnson, the current host of the show, became a permanent resident in 1990.
Johnson is one of the most iconic voices in sports. Not only is he the voice for the TNT show, but he can also be heard broadcasting for the MLB, NCAA Division I Men’s basketball tournament, and NBA TV. He has also been a constant addition to the NBA 2k games since around 2014. The 67-year-old has done amazing things as the voice of the NBA on TNT and has won himself Emmys for his work.
With Johnson becoming the full time host for Inside The NBA fans would see Kenny “The Jet” Smith join his side in 1989 as a permanent analyst to go along with Johnson’s hosting. Charles Barkley would also hop behind the desk after his retirement. Finally, their last permanent analyst, Shaquille O’Neal would become a part of the team in 2011 creating one of the best NBA shows to watch.
Why The Fans Love This Show
These four men do more than just talk about the game. They let loose on screen joking around with each other and utilizing their great chemistry to connect with audiences. They know how to make any topic interesting and get folks at home laughing. They can switch from serious to silly very quickly, making the topics flow in their conversations.
Perhaps one of the greatest things about this show is the unscriptedness of it. Due to how well these four men work together, they can take moments that occurred throughout the game and not just discuss it but create a whole different narrative around it. One example is the well known Charles Barkley Phoenix Suns rant.
After the Suns had made some interesting decisions on staff and coaching midseason Barkley had stated his opinion on the matter and clearly he stood against it. However, things got even bigger when the Suns took a bad loss against the Houston Rockets after being up big, and Inside The NBA began their review of the game. Barkley would go on his infamous rant calling out the Suns for bad popcorn, dirty seating, and not being able to win even if their best players were healthy, and ended it with one compliment: there was plenty of parking. This was pure comedic genius.
Some of The Best Moments of Inside The NBA
One of the top moments to happen on Inside The NBA has to be the Los Angeles Clippers calling for a police presence after a conflict with the Houston Rockets. Allegedly, Chris Paul went to enter the Clippers locker room after an in-game scuffle. This sent Barkley and Shaq into an absolute fit of laughs and brought viewers the legendary quote:
Hello, Police? Chris Paul is trying to beat me up!
The two would go on laughing and joking about the situation for a solid amount of minutes with Chuck stating that he has never in his playing career heard of the need of a police presence for a little player scuffle. It also created some incredible memes on Twitter.
More recently, in an Inside The NBA Steam Room segment, Barkley and Johnson were discussing soap and why Barkley chooses to bring his own. Things got dicey as Chuck explained that he almost had an incident with the small hotel soap bar and that he almost “lost it,” sending Johnson into a fit of laughter once he realized what Barkley meant.
Lastly, there is the well known race to the board with Kenny “The Jet” Smith vs. anyone who wishes to try their luck. One of the best race to the board moments on Inside The NBA would be when Smith notcied Shaq about to rise and start running. Smith began to stand but before he could Shaq tripped and went sprawling out onto the floor. He’s left there claiming that Ernie set him up while viewers can see The Jet slowly walking to the board with a smile on his face.
These are just a few of the moments that viewers have come to love on Inside The NBA. It’s sad to think that this great show will be at its end, as so many viewers look forward to it during halftime and after games. It has become a staple of the NBA, and if TNT really loses the right to broadcast the games, it will be dearly missed by all.
About the Author
Elizabeth is an avid watcher of all things sports. However, the Boston sports teams will always be her number one. Her favorite sport to watch is basketball, but she also enjoys professional wrestling, soccer, and baseball. You can find her on X @edellapiana1 to check out more content.
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