It’s a dark day for TNT’s Inside the NBA crew. But not just for the major stars like Shaq or Charles Barkley, but for anyone who worked on the show. Why? Well, they recently lost one of their own. Kevin Thomas, one of the biggest contributors to the show behind the scenes, just passed away at the ripe old age of 70.

And everyone from Chuck to Kenny, Ernie, and Shaq paid tribute to their longtime co-worker live on air tonight. Thomas worked as a stagehand for TNT for over 30 years at the time of his passing. And he was just as important to the show as the stars who appeared on TV.”Inside the NBA delivers sharp analysis and hilarious, off-beat segments that often go viral.And Thomas was a huge part of that. So the entire Inside the NBA family gathered to pay their respects to their dearly departed friend. Ernie Johnson kicked things off with his tribute.

“Kevin Thomas was one of the stagehands here in Studio J. Been here for thirty years, and he was one great teammate. You may not have known him, but you’ve seen him. He was part of a lot of the skits we cooked up. The dude had a joyous sense of humor and the kindness about him that simply drew you in. Whenever we needed something, you know what? That’s calling for Kevin. Whether it was filing down Shaq’s nails or this one, Shaq,” he said, pointing to a segment of Thomas putting Shaq in a WWE-style chokehold.“Memories are flooding us,” Ernie said in conclusion, his voice breaking by the end. It was clear that as he spoke, he could barely contain his emotions after losing not just a colleague but a dear friend.

Once Ernie finished, Charles Barkley began his own tribute to Kevin. Barkley revealed how big a role Kevin played in making the show what it is today. “You know, it’s so, death is so sudden. Like, you’re with somebody one day, then you get the call the next day that they’re gone and you’re like, ‘What?!’… Man, what a fun dude. And, I admired him. I respected him. And he did anything we asked him to do. And we’ve always said, the people behind us do all the heavy lifting on the show. But, man, the world is a settled place because Kevin’s not here. He was just a really good dude, and we’re gonna miss him,” said Chuck.

But it wasn’t just Ernie and Chuck, everyone chimed in to say their bit and pay homage to their long-time co-worker and friend. It was quite the moving segment on a show that’s usually so unserious. Regardless, here’s what everyone said about Thomas.

Inside the NBA family pays tribute to Kevin Thomas

Building off of what Chuck said, Kenny Smith then joined in, revealing exactly how important he really was to the show. “Yeah. Kevin, you know, not only part of the outside, but things that we would talk about in the back would make it to the show. And so everybody here understands what that is because I’m sure everybody has a story. He’s like, well, that idea came from me. And Kevin probably could have pointed to 20 ideas or enhancing ideas and said, ‘No, Kenny. When Shaq comes out, you do this. Push him into the tree, and I have this going.’ So all of those things that will be missed, the friendship, the guidance, and just the understanding of what we were doing and what our task was here at the show,” said Kenny the Jet.

Finally, the big man, Shaquille O’Neal, started. He told the audience that whenever he needed something, Kevin was his go-to guy. “Kevin was a great man…But Kevin, as well as Eric, all the funny skits that we have, I would come in and say, ‘I need this.’ And somehow, they would get it done. I need a bird. And they come get birds. ‘I need wigs.’ They come back with a box of wigs. So, you know, when they told me the other day, I heard it, but I didn’t wanna hear it. And I said, ‘Who? And they said, ‘Kevin.’ My Kevin. So condolences goes out to him and his family, but we’ll definitely be missed. And, you know, we’re all hurting today, and I pray for his family,” said Shaq.

By the end, Ernie Johnson was no longer able to hold back his tears as he ended the segment. “This studio will never be the same,” he said in tears, signing off on the segment. And from what we can gather, he’s right. Kevin seemed to be a genuinely good person to everyone around him, someone who’s always ready to help you out in a pinch.

Kevin Thomas is survived by his wife Cece, his son Noah, and four grandchildren. But his legacy stretches beyond that. From every skit that made us laugh to every bit of analysis that helped us understand the sport better, Kevin left his mark on us in ways we didn’t even realize. Our condolences go out to his family. The world of basketball lost a noble soul, may he rest in peace.