And with that, an era ends: 'Thanks for watching us. It's the NBA on TNT'
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner holds the trophy as players celebrate after winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Ernie Johnson could barely get the words out.
The run of 'Inside the NBA' on TNT came to an end on Saturday night, after nearly four decades as a fixture of the league. The show will move to ESPN and ABC next season — and keep Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley together, still doing most shows from Atlanta — but the final TNT sign-off was an emotional one.
Advertisement
'I'm proud to say for the last time, 'Thanks for watching us. It's the NBA on TNT,'" Johnson said, before turning his back to the camera, placing his microphone on the desk and getting up from that set for the final time.
NBA games will not be airing on TNT starting next season when the league's new television package kicks in — an 11-year media rights deal worth at least $76 billion, one that keeps games on ABC and ESPN, brings the league back to NBC and starts a new relationship with Amazon Prime Video.
ABC will broadcast the NBA Finals, meaning the end of the Eastern Conference finals between Indiana and New York was the end of TNT's run. Turner Sports first acquired an NBA package in 1984 and games were on TNT since the network launched in 1988.
'Even though the name changes, the engine is still the same," O'Neal said during the final broadcast. "And to that new network we're coming to, we're not coming to (expletive) around. ... We're taking over, OK? I love you guys and I appreciate you guys.'
Advertisement
The moment was not lost on Indiana coach Rick Carlisle. His team had just clinched a spot in the NBA Finals by beating New York, and when his brief interview with Johnson during the trophy ceremony was over, Carlisle grabbed the microphone out of the host's hands.
'Congratulations to TNT on a fabulous, unbelievable run that's coming to an end,' Carlisle said in the unprompted tribute. 'We're all very sad about that.'
The names of countless past and current broadcasters and analysts were included in the many tributes offered on-air after the game, including Doug Collins, Hubie Brown, Dick Stockton, Cheryl Miller, Danny Ainge, John Thompson, Steve Kerr, Mike Fratello, Marv Albert, Brian Anderson, Chris Webber, Candace Parker and Craig Sager.
'Our hearts are full of gratitude,' TNT's Kevin Harlan said on-air, speaking to the viewers. 'Not sadness, but gratitude and happiness for what has been. It has been an honor. It has been a privilege. And I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as we have.'
Advertisement
Harlan had the play-by-play call for the final game, with Reggie Miller, Stan Van Gundy and Allie LaForce on the broadcast as well.
'Think about my life. I'm very fortunate,' Miller said. 'I've only known two things: 18 years with one franchise in this building with the Indiana Pacers, and 19 years with Turner.'
Many members of the TNT production crew have gotten jobs with NBC and Amazon, Johnson said, because of their exemplary work to this point. 'Best production crew in the business, I might add,' Johnson said.
And when it turned back to the 'Inside the NBA' crew for one last time on TNT, the emotions were clear.
Advertisement
"This has just been a magnificent ride," Smith said.
Barkley talked about how he was going to sign with NBC when starting his broadcast career, then switched to TNT.
'I just want to say thank you to the NBA," Barkley said. 'Every coach I've had, every player I've played with, for giving me this magnificent life that I've had. I am so lucky and blessed. I'm lucky and blessed. And I want to thank TNT. Even though we'll never say TNT Sports again, I want to thank TNT for giving me a magnificent life.'
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Verge
12 minutes ago
- The Verge
Posted Jun 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM EDT 2 Comments / 2 New
Apple adding digital car key support for more automakers. According to 9 to 5 Mac, the company said during WWDC that it would soon support digital car keys from 13 additional vehicle brands, including Audi, Cadillac, Chevy, Hyundai, Kia, GMC, Volvo, Rivian, and others. That brings the total number of brands supported to 33. The keys are added to the Wallet app, and can be used to lock, unlock, and start the vehicle using technology like NFC, UWB, or BLE — depending on which are supported by the vehicle. Car Keys are coming to the Wallet app for 13 new vehicle brands soon - 9to5Mac [
Fox News
13 minutes ago
- Fox News
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel delivers brutally honest take on star cornerback Jalen Ramsey's trade situation
The Miami Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey mutually agreed to explore trade options heading into the 2025 season, but that was almost two months ago. While no deal has been made, head coach Mike McDaniel doesn't seem worried, concerned or any other adjective about Ramsey's situation. "I don't give a s--- about what I feel," he said when asked his thoughts on the trade dilemma. "I don't even really go down that road of, 'How do I feel about it?' My job is to react and control my controllables and make sure that people are moving in one direction appropriately." McDaniel spoke during his team's opening day of mandatory minicamp, where Ramsey wasn't present, as expected. He has elected to remain away from the Dolphins until his situation is resolved. It's a bit surprising to see the 30-year-old not be dealt over the past two months given he's on the market. Ramsey is a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who continues to play at a high level at the cornerback position. But when you look at the financials, perhaps it makes sense why the Dolphins remain the team employing Ramsey. He signed a three-year, $72.3 million extension just one season ago, meaning teams would have to carry a heavy cap hit to trade for Ramsey, unless some sort of financial package can be reached in the process with Miami. As a result, McDaniel is simply focused on the roster he has present at his minicamp. He enters his fourth year on the job, and he could be on the hot seat if Miami doesn't turn things around after an 8-9 season. Of course, quarterback play is a large factor in teams winning and losing, and it didn't help that Tua Tagovailoa suffered yet another concussion that had him out early in the season. McDaniel's offense requires precise timing and accuracy, and Tagovailoa has thrived in that atmosphere when healthy. But the Dolphins couldn't keep things afloat with him out, and when Tagovailoa returned, they weren't able to make a run into the playoffs. McDaniel will hope the 2025 campaign is more like 2023, when the Dolphins went 11-6 to reach the playoffs. They play in a tough AFC East division, where the New England Patriots got better in all facets and the New York Jets have a dual-threat quarterback leading the way in Justin Fields. And, of course, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are still the team to beat. So, McDaniel has a lot to worry about in terms of getting his team prepared for a hopeful playoff run, and he's clearly letting it be known he doesn't have time for players who wanted to be traded. "The business is business – the opportunity that business does provide in the offseason is a rep to the team about handling noise," McDaniel added. "Noise is [something] that don't have to do with what actually you're there to do… Business and offseasons allow you to speak to your team about how the focus of noise is a constant battle that, [to be] successful, you have to win." The Dolphins open their season on the road against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
CNN
16 minutes ago
- CNN
Former local news anchor sues rival station for defamation over report he says portrayed him as a ‘child predator'
A former local news anchor in Shreveport, Louisiana, has sued a rival station for defamation, accusing it of engaging in 'character assassination' after it ran a report he says portrayed him as a 'child predator.' Emmy Award-winning journalist Bill Lunn, a former anchor for ABC affiliate KTBS, filed the lawsuit late last month against rival local outlet KTAL, its married co-anchors Daniel and Jacquelyn Jovic, and its owner, Nexstar. The complaint was filed almost one year after Lunn resigned from KTBS in advance of a KTAL report claiming Lunn had been busted by 'vigilantes targeting men seeking to prey on underage girls.' Lunn had been cleared by a police investigation, and no charges were filed — a fact KTAL included in its report. Nevertheless, the former anchor said in his lawsuit that KTAL and Nexstar failed to 'vet, edit or confirm allegations that labeled him a child predator.' Lunn resigned to spare his employer any embarrassment, he said in the lawsuit, 'with the intention and hope to return to work once the facts cleared his name.' However, the lawsuit alleges the KTAL report ultimately 'ended his career in broadcast journalism.' The former anchor alleged that KTAL targeted him because of their two stations' rivalry in the Shreveport market. 'Jovic and his co-Defendants seized on the opportunity to bend the facts to their will in an attempt (to) take out or otherwise substantially interfere with the market leader and their direct competitor, Lunn,' the lawsuit alleges. Lunn downloaded the popular dating app Tinder on May 27, 2024, and was sent a message of 'interest' from a person he thought was a 19-year-old woman the same day, according to the lawsuit. Shortly thereafter, Lunn was asked to text the woman on her cellphone, after which she 'initiated a sexually explicit exchange.' Two days after the initial message, the supposed 19-year-old invited Lunn to her home, where he was ushered in by a woman. Upon entry, Lunn was 'beaten and robbed of his belongings' by a trio of men. After escaping the house, Lunn returned home and, with the help of another person, called the Shreveport Police Department, according to the lawsuit. Once police arrived, Lunn recounted the night's events and provided his cellphone to aid in law enforcement's investigation, at which point he noticed that the woman had edited her age in a text message from 19 to 16, the lawsuit says. Her Tinder profile, however, still showed her as being 19 years old. In the days that followed, Daniel Jovic, the rival reporter, contacted a police source to inquire whether Lunn had been found with a 14-year-old girl and whether he had fled from the police, according to the lawsuit. Jovic was told Lunn did not run, that no arrests were made and that the investigation was ongoing, the lawsuit says. Jovic interviewed the trio of men for a newscast he led with his co-anchor and wife, Jacquelyn, which was broadcast on June 3, 2024. According to the lawsuit, that newscast allegedly 'lied, misrepresented, and ignored the evidence in their possession,' relying on 'an interview conducted with a wholesale lack of diligence.' 'After meeting them, Jovic engaged in leading and calculated questioning eventually eliciting some 'facts' that, despite the source and Jovic's own training and knowledge as to their questionable truth or veracity, culminated in the false broadcast that derailed Lunn's career,' the lawsuit read. The next day, Daniel Jovic published a story on KTAL's website, revealing the group of local so-called predator hunters 'pretending to be an underage girl in an effort to 'catfish' local men who are allegedly trying to meet up for sex.' Despite publishing two subsequent stories — one reporting Lunn's denials and another reporting that police cleared Lunn — KTAL and the Jovic couple have 'never acknowledged, corrected, or retracted their numerous defamatory broadcasts in which they named Petitioner a child predator,' the lawsuit says. A Nexstar lawyer told Lunn's attorney that the company 'stands by the journalist and the stories as presented,' according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit does not list a specific dollar amount in damages sought by Lunn. However, he 'demands a trial by jury' in order to 'hold these Defendants accountable for their actions.' Nexstar, KTAL, Daniel Jovic and Jacquelyn Jovic did not immediately respond to CNN requests for comment.
