Ernie Johnson is a legend in the American sports reporting circles.
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EJ has been a host extraordinaire for Turner studios since the 1980s. The star anchor has hosted events ranging from the FIFA World Cup to PGA Tours. However, he is most famous for his part in the NBA coverage on TNT and NBA TV.
Ernie has been the leader of the Inside the NBA gang alongside the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith notably. EJ has become arguably the biggest name in American sports media thanks to his playful nature and joyous presence on air.
The world of media in pop culture is well documented. However, none of those works may have been as influential as The Anchorman.
The 2004 Will Ferrell classic became a cult hit. And Ernie Johnson sure seems to be a fan. Ernie appreciated the movie’s humor to the extent he was willing to try a prank inspired by the movie on Charles Barkley.
How did EJ get Charles Barkley pranked The Anchorman style?
The movie takes a shot at TV presenters who read scripts of teleprompters. On an occasion where Chuck had to read out from a teleprompter for a TNT campaign, Ernie pulled out his pranking guns.
Ernie messed with the teleprompter’s script and included “Charles Barkley is a dumba**” in between the text. And Charles Barkley “promptly” it out.
Charles’ sentence almost sounded prophetic at the time making himself look like quite the dumba** immediately. The Chuckster isn’t known for being the smartest of the bunch and he got pranked easy by EJ.
This might be right up there in the best pranks pulled under the eyes of a camera section. Charles Barkley’s sheepish smile proves the hilarity of the prank.
