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Ernie Johnson has seen many iconic moments in 34 years as host of “Inside the NBA.”
However, nothing might top doing the postgame show Wednesday night from center court at Madison Square Garden after the New York Knicks made the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history to beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4.
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“That’s the best. None of the fans are leaving. They just want to soak this whole thing in. It was like a college atmosphere. And then to do the show right there with that energy going on, that’s why you do it,” Johnson said.
Who knows how many signature moments are left in the series, but the quartet of Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith is certainly enjoying anchoring pregame, halftime and postgame NBA Finals coverage for the first time.
“Inside the NBA” moved to ESPN and ABC this season under a licensing agreement with TNT Sports, following Warner Bros. Discovery’s inability to retain NBA rights.
The show’s addition has elevated ESPN and ABC’s NBA coverage just as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman’s arrival in 2022 took “Monday Night Football” to another level.
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The series resumes Saturday night in San Antonio with the Knicks one win away from their first NBA title since 1973. Johnson will present the Lawrence O’Brien trophy at the end of the finals. If the Spurs stave off elimination, Johnson presenting the trophy to the Knicks at home after a Game 6 win on Tuesday could surpass the bedlam from the comeback.
“The transition has been seamless, and it’s been a wonderful year together. Having Ernie, Chuck, Shaq and Kenny anchor our NBA Finals coverage, in tandem with our outstanding game broadcast team, has elevated our entire presentation,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content.
“Inside the NBA” has a 90-minute pregame show, with the first hour on ESPN before shifting over to ABC. The postgame show begins on ESPN as soon as ABC’s coverage ends and goes at least an hour.
Mike Breen, who is calling his record 21st finals, has enjoyed having “Inside the NBA” serve as a lead-in to coverage.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/inside-nba-making-most-1st-235446263.html
Author : JOE REEDY
Publish date : 2026-06-12 23:54:00
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