Ernie Johnson announced Wednesday that the 2026-27 season will be his last as host of “Inside the NBA,” CBS Sports reported.
“This will be my last season,” Johnson said in a nearly three-minute video posted to social media. “Totally my decision. It’s just time.”
Johnson, 70, is in his 37th season hosting the show with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith. “Inside the NBA” debuted in 1989.
“Just to be clear, I’m not retiring,” Johnson said. “Just cutting back.” He said he will continue working March Madness and other projects for TNT and CBS, and has started a production company called 32 Bowties to tell feel-good sports stories.
Barkley has previously described the show’s crew as a package deal, CBS Sports reported, raising questions about the program’s future beyond this season.
The award-winning studio show is widely considered one of the most popular in sports television.
Sources: CBS Sports. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Education Department (TA63) / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
