It’s the final night of the NBA Play-In tournament. After tonight’s Heat vs. Hawks and Mavericks vs. Grizzlies matchups, the seeds will be complete in the East and the West, setting the stage for one of the most exciting NBA Playoff races of the last few years. The NBA on TNT crew knows how big the stakes are for the final Play-In games and broke down each one in a pregame broadcast. Well…sort of.
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Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith have been appearing alongside one another on NBA on TNT for decades. While the crew offers in-depth basketball analysis, their camaraderie and friendship with each other have also led them to decades worth of silliness. The show can be as entertaining as it is insightful, which is why fans love it and are happy it is staying on the air after TNT lost the media rights.
That said, there have been times when NBA on TNT breached into outlandish territories. Shaq and Chuck are forever friends, but their constant shots at each other outweigh anything clever they might say about the games themselves.
Ernie and Kenny are not afraid to join in, but there are times when bits really need to be reeled in so the program remains coherent. Tonight, it was Ernie who was trying his best to sedate the wackiness of its hosts.
EJ’s already got his hands full trying to keep the bookends on track pic.twitter.com/5I5YNl3YLH
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 18, 2025
Shaq asked Barkley whether he knew how to make a good duck sound. Why? Don’t worry about it. Chuck did his best duck impression, but Kenny didn’t buy it. “This guy doesn’t know what a duck sounds like,” Kenny said while laughing.
After almost 40 seconds of laughter, Ernie took control. “I have no idea how we’re gonna get this show back on track but we are damn sure gonna try,” he said with a slight bit of embarrassment.
It’s not the first time Ernie has had to play the parent role. The Emmy-winning host even referred to himself as the NBA on TNT dad during an old chat with Dan Patrick.
“The way it’s been best described as is that I’m the dad driving cross-country with these three guys in the backseat saying, ‘One more peep out of you and I’m turning this thing around.'” Dad certainly stepped in tonight to control their zaniness. However, he has had to play a more serious role at times.
Ernie once called out Shaq for being late, then smoothed things over moments later
In that same interview with Dan Patrick, Ernie recalled a time when he called out The Diesel for not showing up on time. What was supposed to be a playful jab turned into Shaq being slightly hurt.
“The next day, he didn’t even talk to me. I’d look at him during the show, ask him questions, and get three-word answers,” Ernie recalled.
Like the good dad he is, Ernie remembered how he quickly smoothed things over. He revealed that during a commercial break on that same broadcast, he got up and gave the four-time NBA Champion a “big old hug,” and said, “Man, you know I love you.”
NBA on TNT is a cultural phenomenon. No other squad of four can make a simple sports talk program feel so alive and wacky at the same time. Between Shaq and Kenny’s famed sprints to the screen, or Chuck ranting about a fan making a wild take on social media. All we can say is thank goodness the group has someone as sweet and caring as EJ to keep all the mayhem at bay.
