Legendary Host Ernie Johnson Announces Retirement From Inside The NBA Leaving Charles Barkley In Tears

All good things must come to an end, and when TNT lost Inside The NBA to Skydance, it was clear the iconic show’s lineup wouldn’t stay intact.

Now, the host and straight man who played off the chaos of Shaq, Chuck and Kenny, is calling it a career. 70-year-old broadcasting legend Ernie Johnson has announced this will be his last season as host of the show.

“I’ve long described it as a ‘get to’ job — I’m still amazed I get to do this for a living,” Johnson said. “This will be my last season. It’s totally my decision. It’s just time. I’ve always vowed that if ever became more of a challenge than it is a joy, then I’ll know it’s time to step away. Now after 37 seasons, it’s time.”

He also updated people on his next steps.

“Just to be clear, I’m not retiring,” Johnson said. “Just cutting back. I’ll still do March Madness and other projects for TNT and CBS, and I’ve just started a new production company called 32 Bowties geared toward telling feel-good stories in sports. So this is by no means the end. It’s just a turning of the page.”

Barkley Gets Emotional About Ernie

Charles Barkley took the news the hardest of the crew, moved to tears as he talked about his friend on air.

“That was tough,” Barkley said. “We knew the day was coming. Still tough. Been here for 26, 27 years and it’s been an honor and a privilege to work with you all this time, and Kenny [Smith] and Shaq, and the amazing people behind the scenes. Nothing like it to be able to dribble a stupid basketball and get rich and famous, and then come here and get paid to watch the best players in the world. You get paid to do it. We’d watch anyway. But it’s been an amazing journey. You’ve been our leader — our unquestionable leader. The question I’m asked the most is, ‘Is Ernie Johnson as good a person as he seems?’ And I say, ‘Man, he’s better than that.’ So, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being our leader for all these years.”

Johnson was moved to tears. In the video, he also announced recent health scares as part of his decision, due to heart issues.

Charles Barkley previously told Bill Simmons that he’d stay on the show until Johnson left, indicating the 2026 -2027 season could be his last.

Adam Lefkoe is the favorite to takeover Johnson’s position.