Sports: Ernie Johnson Says This Season Will Be His Last Hosting 'Inside the NBA'

The most famous desk in sports TV is about to lose its anchor. Ernie Johnson announced Wednesday that the 2026-27 season will be his final one hosting "Inside the NBA," ending a 37-season run next to Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith, NBA.com reports.

"This will be my last season," Johnson said in a video posted to social media. "Totally my decision. It's just time." He said he has always vowed to step away once the daily preparation became "more of a challenge than it is a joy," and NBA.com notes he also cited health issues and wanting more time with family.

Read More: Sports: Angel Reese and the Dream Blitz the Valkyries to Force the First Game 7 in WNBA Finals History

He is not retiring from TV. Johnson, 70, will keep calling March Madness and other TNT and CBS projects, and he is launching a production company, 32 Bowties, built around feel-good sports stories. "This is by no means the end," he said. "It's just a turning of the page."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said few people "have shaped the way fans experience the NBA as profoundly" as Johnson. The six-time Emmy winner became the show's full-time host in 1990, and his chemistry with Smith, Barkley and O'Neal helped turn it into the standard every studio show gets measured against.

Read More: Sports: Kawhi Leonard Reportedly Out at Least 3-4 Weeks With Knee Swelling, Longer Than Toronto First Said

Sources: NBA.com, The Guardian

Sports news with a Rich Motion lens at youtube.com/@RichMotion_Media.