Ernie Johnson announced Wednesday, in a video posted to his own X account, that this season will be his last hosting “Inside the NBA.” It is his 37th season at the desk. “This will be my last season,” he said. “Totally my decision. It’s just time.”
For most of that run, the show has meant Ernie holding the middle while Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal took it wherever they wanted to take it. The show survived the move from TNT to ESPN last season. The host was the constant, and now the constant is leaving.
“I’ve always prided myself on my preparation, the hours I put in every day getting ready for the next show. I’ve always loved that part of my job. But I’ve always vowed that if that ever became more of a challenge than it is a joy, I’d know it’s time to step away.”
Ernie Johnson, in his announcement video, Wednesday
He said the prep is what changed. He also said heart issues he has dealt with for nearly two years, including bypass surgery 14 months ago, helped him decide how he wants to spend his time. He stressed that he feels great and that no doctor told him to stop working.
He is not retiring. He will keep hosting March Madness for CBS and TNT and other projects, and he just started a production company, 32 Bowties, to tell feel good sports stories. Barkley told Bill Simmons in September that the two of them are a package deal and this would be his last year too, a claim Johnson would not confirm until now. ESPN has not said what happens to the show after this season.
One more season of Ernie keeping a straight face while Chuck and Shaq lose it at that desk. Then the most famous chair in sports television sits empty.