In a bizarre NBA night and quest to reinvigorate all-star game fans' interest, TNT Broadcast honors “NBA Inside the NBA” panelists Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith in the middle of the championship game Paused for Ernie Johnson.
This season is the final season of TNT's NBA broadcast, but it won't mark the end of the beloved NBA studio show where “Inside The NBA” and its staff will move on to next season.
Actor and comedian Kevin Hart spoke to the midcourt crowd and praised the four for their broadcasting abilities for years before inviting him to the floor.
“All-Star Game and basketball games wouldn't be like that if they didn't have the energy they brought to the game,” Hart said.
The four were then presented with signed jerseys for this year's All-Star Game, along with a ring similar to the one received by the NBA All-Stars.
Hart was also fun in the “Inside the NBA” gag segment running the gag segment “Gone Fishin'” that comes to send the team home after a postseason loss.
The comedian presented four tackle boxes, fishing rods and bucket hats to “send fishing.”
It was all fun, but as part of the agreement that reached a contract between Turner and the NBA after the league filed a lawsuit against the latter when the league reached its league, “inside the NBA” was on ESPN It was presented as a strange moment, given the move. There are $77 billion in broadcasting rights with ESPN, NBC and Amazon.
And the “NBA inside” crew is expected to remain intact for the move, especially after O'Neal signed a long-term contract that pays more than $15 million a year, and Front Office Sports reported last week.
Barkley has a 10-year contract extension with Turner, who signed in 2022, and Smith is expected to sign a long-term deal, and Johnson is expected to stay on the show, Front Office Sports reported.
Sunday marked the final time that “inside the NBA” crew will be part of the All-Star Game as NBC takes over future broadcasts.
Still, some viewers were a bit confused at the ceremony on Sunday night.
“The extended breaks of these games are really difficult. We've come to honor TNT's ending within the NBA. I wrote it on X.
“Wouldn't some of the NBA just join ESPN with the same staff? What a random time filler homage.” written by Brian Robb of Masslive.
“I understand the last All-Star game in the NBA crew, but doing this in the middle of the game is ridiculous.” One fan wrote it.
