Ernie Johnson Says This Season of 'Inside the NBA' Will Be His Last as Host

By The Arena Staff

ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2026 — Ernie Johnson has been at the Inside the NBA desk for 37 seasons. This one will be the last.

"This will be my last season," Johnson said in a video of about two and a half minutes posted Wednesday on his X account, captioned "It's time." "Totally my decision. It's just time."

Johnson, who turned 70 this summer, said people had been asking more and more how long he planned to keep going. He has long called the show a "get-to job," and he told viewers the deciding factor was the part they never see: the hours of preparation he puts in every day before he sits down next to Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith. He said he always promised himself he would step away once that work became more of a challenge than a joy, Awful Announcing reported.

He also said a heart procedure 14 months ago changed how he wants to spend his time, while adding that he feels great.

This is not a retirement. Johnson said he is cutting back, and he will keep hosting March Madness and working on other projects for TNT and CBS, according to theScore. He has also started a production company built around feel-good sports stories. Its name, 32 Bow Ties, is a nod to his trademark bow ties.

He spent the back half of the video saying thank you. "It's been an honor to share so many nights, decades actually, at the desk with my brothers, Kenny, Charles, and Shaq, and with our production crews who are so talented and devoted," he said. "And I so appreciate the leadership at TNT and ESPN for allowing the show to continue."

That last part matters. TNT's NBA rights ran out after the 2024-25 season, and instead of letting the show go dark, TNT Sports licensed it to ESPN. The crew stayed together for a first season on its new network, and ESPN has added more regular-season nights this year, so Johnson's farewell tour will put him at the desk more often than last season did.

The announcement also answers a question Barkley raised in September on The Bill Simmons Podcast. "Me and Ernie are a package deal," Barkley said then. "So right now, unless Ernie changes his mind, next year is my last year 100 percent." Johnson had declined to confirm that in the weeks since. ESPN has not said what happens to the show after this season, and no successor has been named.

The NBA season runs into spring, which means a long goodbye, and plenty more nights of Gone Fishin' first.

Sources: Awful Announcing, theScore and Bleacher Report. The announcement video is on Ernie Johnson's X account.