As the Eastern Conference Finals near their end, fans are getting hit with nostalgia about losing their favorite Inside The NBA. The Emmy award-winning show, led by Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal, was almost slated to be off the air, with Warner Bros. Discovery losing the rights to air NBA on TNT.
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However, ESPN swooped in, acquiring the legendary show in the wake of the NBA’s new $76 billion media rights agreement. Understandably, the new media rights agreement initially made many Inside The NBA fans anxious, as it was believed that their beloved show was coming to an end.
Even though ESPN has secured the rights to air the show, it would still be recorded at their studio in Atlanta. But what about the program’s legendary co-host lineup?
With rumors of a new TV deal swirling around the NBA at the end of last season’s playoffs in June 2024, Charles Barkley stunned audiences during a live broadcast by announcing that the 2024–25 season would be his final season ever. “Next year is going to be my last year on television,” said the Hall of Famer, following the Celtics’ 122-84 win over the Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
In 2022, Barkley agreed to a 10-year, $210 million contract extension with TNT, but just two years later, he stated his intention to retire after the 2024–25 season. He expressed a wish to avoid stretching his career, saying, “I don’t want to die on TV. I want to die on the golf course or somewhere fishing.”
Nevertheless, after ESPN acquired Inside The NBA, Barkley chose to maintain his position on the show with the new network. However, there is a caveat. Chuck revealed his intention to call time on his broadcast career in the next two to three years. “I’m going to do what I want. If they don’t like it, they can fire me.”
ESPN’s agreement with Warner Bros Discovery ensures that the team of Ernie Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal, and Kenny Smith remains intact and unchanged. Barkley shared his approval of the ESPN announcement, seeing it as a means to keep Inside the NBA going for now.
Last night, fearing that the Pacers would wrap up the series at the Garden, making it the last broadcast on TNT, Shaq chose to deliver a message to the fans. “The show is still here, baby. You can never kill the four horsemen…We coming to kick a** and take names.”
It would be interesting to see what changes happen when the four legends and Inside The NBA move over to ESPN. Will we see them on programmes such as Get Up or First Take? Will ESPN make Chuck ‘work like a dog‘? We’ll have to wait till October to find out. However, one thing is for sure – we will see the four horsemen take their rightful place, talking about the NBA for years to come.
