What Ernie Johnson’s Decision to Leave ‘Inside the NBA’ Likely Means for Charles Barkley’s Future

The longtime “Inside the NBA” host announced Wednesday that this will be his last season.

Ernie Johnson is in his 37th year as the host of “Inside the NBA”. | Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Ernie Johnson, the host of “Inside the NBA” for the last 37 years, announced Wednesday that this will be his final season. Johnson will walk away from the show following the NBA playoffs.

Johnson, 70, shared the news in an emotional video posted on social media. He thanked his longtime co-hosts—Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith—as well as everyone on the production team that has worked so hard behind the scenes to make the show the hit that it has been for so many years.

• MORE INSIDE THE NBA: Charles Barkley Hilariously Bombed an NBA Quiz On-Air. Then Shaq Spun It Into Comedic Gold.
  

He also shared that he has been dealing with heart issues recently, and that has led to him seeing things differently about his future.

“There’s something else, and I’ll just call it a contributing factor,” Johnson said. “For nearly two years now I’ve dealt with heart issues. Had bypass surgery 14 months ago. Still trying to get this thing to beat exactly the way it should. And we’re getting there; I feel great. So this isn’t the case where my doctor said you need to stop working. It’s nothing like that. 

“But here’s the deal. Going through that has made me treasure even more every second with my amazing wife of 44 years, Cheryl Ann, and being Poppy to our five grandchildren. So I just want to slow down a bit, spend more time enjoying that.”

It’s time.
🤟🤟🏾🤟🏻🤟🏽 pic.twitter.com/h1qNwsnkUY

— Ernie Johnson (@TurnerSportsEJ) October 28, 2026

Johnson added that he will continue doing the other TV jobs he has done over the years, including coverage during the NCAA tournament.

“Just to be clear, I'm not retiring,” he said. “Just cutting back. I'll still do March Madness and other projects for TNT and CBS, and I've just started a new production company called 32 Bowties geared toward telling feel-good stories in sports. So this is by no means the end. It's just a turning of the page.”

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What Ernie Johnson’s decision could mean for Charles Barkley’s future with the show

Barkley has hinted at retirement a few times in recent years and last month, while appearing on Bill Simmons’s podcast, he said he would be done when Johnson decided to walk away. He also added that Johnson asked him for two more years after the show made the move from TNT to ESPN before last season.

“I said: ‘I love you, man. You’re the best. I’ll stay,’” Barkley said to Simmons. “So right now, unless Ernie changes his mind, [this] year is my last year, 100%.”

“Me and Ernie are a package deal,” Barkley added.

Well, Johnson didn’t change his mind, and now he’s officially in his final year with the show. So it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if Barkley follows suit and ends his run after this season, too. ESPN could always throw enough money at him to make him think twice about walking away, but it feels like this time Barkley’s retirement talk could be more than just that.

“Inside the NBA” has been the best pregame/halftime/postgame show for years. The late-night shenanigans after regular season and playoff games have led to some of the funniest segments any sports show has pulled off. So now it's time for us to enjoy the rest of the ride, because the end is near.

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