Ernie Johnson, the loved host of “Inside the NBA”, will leave the show at the end of this season. The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer shared the news in a social media video on Wednesday. He said it was his own decision to step away and that “it’s just time.”
What Ernie Johnson said
Johnson said he will keep working, including covering the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for CBS and Turner Sports.
“Just to be clear, I’m not retiring,” Johnson said. “Just cutting back. … So this is by no means the end. It’s just a turning of the page. And I’ll forever cherish every chapter we have written with ‘Inside the NBA.’”
He also thanked his fans. “And lastly, I just want to say thanks to you. Thanks for your loyalty, for your love, for your support, and on this day, for your understanding,” he said.
According to The Guardian, the 70-year-old had bypass surgery 14 months ago. He wants to spend more time with his wife and grandchildren. Johnson said he is doing well, but his health issues helped him see how important family time is. He added, “I just want to slow down a bit.”
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Johnson has faced other health problems in his career. In 2003, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He also missed hosting duties during the 2018 MLB playoffs because of blood clots in his legs, as per The Guardian.
Johnson’s long run on the show
Johnson has worked for Turner Sports since 1989. He started hosting “Inside the NBA” a year later. The show has won more than 20 Sports Emmy Awards, as per ESPN. Johnson works with Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal on the show. This panel is arguably the most popular group of analysts in US sports. The show moved from TNT Sports to ESPN and ABC starting last season.
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ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro paid tribute in a statement. “Ernie Johnson is one of sports media’s most respected and beloved figures,” he said. “For more than three decades, he has been the heart of ‘Inside the NBA,’ helping create one of the most iconic and entertaining studio shows in sports. We are grateful for Ernie’s extraordinary contributions and look forward to celebrating him throughout the season.”
According to ESPN, Barkley has said before that this will be his final season on the show too. But the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer has changed his mind in the past and returned to the desk.