The 2026-27 season will be Ernie Johnson’s last as the host of Inside the NBA, a show he has graced for 37 seasons. Will the show end without him? Not necessarily. But as his friend and co-host Shaquille O’Neal said, it’ll never quite be the same.
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In 2011, after playing for 19 seasons, O’Neal retired from the NBA and joined Johnson on Inside the NBA’s desk. However, their relationship goes further back to when O’Neal hadn’t even been drafted yet.
“I chose TNT because when I was in college getting ready to go pro, Ernie came to the house, and of course I knew who he was,” Shaquille O’Neal recalled an incident. “And I didn’t know who I was at the time. I don’t know if you guys ever felt like this as a youngster, where they’re telling you, ‘you’re going to be this, you’re going to be that.’ Like, I haven’t even been drafted yet.”
“I ain’t making no money, no nothing. They’re saying you’re this, you’re that. So I don’t really believe it. But when Ernie came over, the guy who I watched on TVs who talked about the other greats, he treated me like I was one of the greats. And I never forgot that.” He explained on Free Range w/Von Miller.
The incident dates back to 1989, before his freshman season at LSU. He was a fresh prospect at the cusp of becoming one of the most fascinating college players ever, with all the confidence he ever needed but not enough achievements to speak of.
That’s when Ernie Johnson visited his house to interview him, giving him all the faith he needed. Shaq said the visit made him “the man on my little army base.”
Roughly two decades later, O’Neal admitted that the interview was the reason he chose TNT. Thus, Ernie Johnson had a profound effect on O’Neal’s career.
Now, Johnson is set to leave the Inside the NBA set for good. Charles Barkley has said this will be his last season too, unless Johnson changes his mind.
“But, you know, with him leaving, the show was going to be different,” O’Neal explained. “The only analogy I could think of is when Shaq and Kobe broke up, the Lakers were different.”
Johnson hopes the show can continue in some form. ESPN, which licenses it from TNT, is reportedly committed to keeping it going after TNT lost its NBA rights.
As for Ernie Johnson, he’s not quitting his media career altogether. The legendary broadcaster is set to shift his attention to 32 Bowties, his company, which will focus on feel-good stories in the world of sports. Apart from that, he just wants to spend some good family time and look after his health after experiencing heart issues for nearly two years.