Ernie Johnson, 70, says his 37th season hosting Inside the NBA will be his last. He is not retiring and will keep working March Madness coverage.
Ernie Johnson, the 70-year-old host of Inside the NBA, said Wednesday, Oct. 28, that the 2026-27 season will be his last at the desk. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which published its report at about 2:35 p.m. ET, Johnson made the announcement in an Instagram video. He says he is not retiring, just cutting back.
What Johnson said
This is his 37th season on the show. He took over as host in 1990, its second year, and has worked alongside Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal. In the video, The Hollywood Reporter says, Johnson called the decision his own: "It's totally my decision. It's just time."
He also pointed to his health. Johnson said recent heart issues were "a contributing factor," according to the trade outlet, which notes he had heart bypass surgery in 2025. He told viewers he feels great and is not under doctor's orders to slow down. He wants more time with his family.
What happens next
Johnson will still be part of NCAA basketball coverage on TNT and CBS, and he runs a production company. TNT Sports called him "the heart and soul" of the network in a statement and said it looks forward to working with him on his next chapter.
The show itself now lives on ESPN and ABC. TNT lost its NBA rights after the 2024-25 season, but TNT Sports still produces Inside the NBA from Atlanta and licenses it to ESPN, which airs it on select nights. It has won more than 20 Sports Emmys.
What is not confirmed yet
Nobody has said who takes over the host chair after this season. Neither TNT Sports nor ESPN has named a successor, and we would not treat any online guess as real until one of them does.
Barkley's plans are also still open. In September, he said on The Bill Simmons Podcast that next year would be his last, "unless Ernie changes his mind." Johnson's announcement now looks like that condition being settled, though Barkley has not commented on it in the reports we read.
Why it matters for U.S. readers
For fans, this sets up a farewell season for the longtime host, with Inside the NBA appearing on select nights across ESPN and ABC.
Our take: The timing makes sense. The show just survived a network move, and Johnson gets to leave on his own terms, with a full season to say goodbye. The harder question is the chair itself. Johnson's job was never really about the highlights. It was keeping three big personalities from running away with the broadcast, and that is tough to hand to someone new.
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Picture credit: ESPN
