The potential discontinuation of TNT’s Inside the NBA has put just about every member of the NBA community in a ponderous mood. Being no different from the rest in the category, Draymond Green was curious about the show’s success and recently went as far as to ask Shaquille O’Neal about it. The Hall of Famer responded,
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“[When I joined Inside The NBA,] I wanted to be the black Brian Gumbel and use big words and do all that. TNT said, ‘Motherf***er’ we’ll fire your ass tomorrow. Be you. And I think that’s what makes our show the best show out there… We make fun of people, we crack jokes, we do a lot of stuff…
O’Neal then couldn’t help but appreciate what he had to do to earn millions, compared to the rest of the world.
After watching two good games or bad games, the fans that are real people, that have to work in the morning. If we are going to keep you up past your bedtime, what we want to do is entertain you.”
O’Neal added that the producers at TNT never asked him to break down the Xs and Os of the game. Instead, they only wanted him to bring his personality and flair to the table with the rest of the crew. They told him that he had been there, done that, and so, never needed to justify his thoughts.
The producers have given Shaq and the panelists free rein to do whatever they want to, whether it be calling out a personality publicly, or even just arguing with each other live on air. Not many networks have the gall to give their employees the freedom to speak their minds like TNT does, which the Lakers legend seems to appreciate.
The network’s trust in the quartet has helped create arguably the most entertaining sports analysis show on TV. But with the rights to broadcasting the NBA leaving the network in 2025, the show’s future is in jeopardy. Despite this, Charles Barkley isn’t prepared to give up what they’ve built just yet.
Charles Barkley prepared to produce his version of ‘Inside The NBA’
Charles Barkley has been open about the fact that ‘Inside The NBA’ would likely cease to exist once the NBA switches from TNT to NBC, Disney, and Amazon in 2025. But he has an idea to ensure that the show’s quartet remains united under a different banner. During an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, the Hall of Famer said,
“I’ve talked to the [Inside The NBA] guys about everybody signing with my production company. Because I have my own production company, and I would love to do that if we lose [the show].”
Barkley’s idea is that his production company would create an alternate version of ‘Inside The NBA’ and sell it to NBC, Amazon, or Disney to ensure they retain their show.
Given their popularity as a group, all three broadcasters would likely pounce on the opportunity to have them on their studio show. Unfortunately however, Ernie Johnson has already made it clear that, come what may, he will not be leaving TNT.
So, if The Chuckster truly wants to keep this band together, he will have to help Turner Sports [Parent company of TNT] find a way to retain their rights on the NBA.
