Ernie Johnson is calling time on the most comfortable chair in sports television. The six-time Emmy winner announced Wednesday that the 2026-27 season will be his final one hosting“Inside the NBA,”closing out a 37-season run that started when he joined Turner in 1989 and went full-time the following year.
Johnson said the decision was entirely his own, citing the relentless demands of preparation, health concerns and a desire for more family time. In typical fashion, he made sure to clarify that he isn’t retiring. He’ll continue his NCAA March Madness coverage, keep working on TNT Sports and CBS projects, and launch a production company called 32 Bowties, which will focus on uplifting sports stories.“This is by no means the end,”he said.“It’s just a turning of the page.”
What he’s leaving behind is one of the most influential studio shows in basketball. Johnson built a legendary on-air partnership with Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, and he’s the reason that on-set chaos always landed somewhere coherent. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league plan to celebrate him throughout his farewell season. So the real question for fans: does the chemistry survive without the moderator? Drop your take below.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.