Ernie Johnson to leave Inside the NBA after the 2026-27 season

Why people are searching for it today

Ernie Johnson is leaving Inside the NBA. He announced on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, that he will step away from the studio show when the current season ends [1] [2].

The answer most readers want is the date. The final season is 2026-27, his 37th as host [1]. The show no longer airs on TNT. It moved from the Turner networks to ABC and ESPN in 2025 [3] [2].

What Johnson announced

Johnson, 70, is describing this as a change of pace rather than a full retirement [1]. He called it "just cutting back" and said it is "by no means the end" [1]. He will keep working on events such as the NCAA Tournament [2].

Health is part of the reasoning. He cited heart issues in recent years as one factor [1], and he had bypass surgery about 14 months before the announcement [3]. He wants more time with his wife and grandchildren [3] [2].

Charles Barkley said before the season that 2026-27 would be his last on the show [1] [2]. The Guardian report, as reprinted by UA.News, says Barkley will also leave after this season, but the reprint gives no new quote from him [3].

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro praised Johnson as one of the most respected figures in sports media [1]. He also said ESPN will celebrate Johnson's contribution throughout the season [3]. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's statement refers to his final season and says few people have shaped the way fans experience the league as profoundly as Johnson [2].

None of these reports quotes a statement from TNT or Warner Bros. Discovery [1] [2] [3].

Johnson's career on the show

Turner Sports recruited Johnson in 1989, and in 1990 he took over as host of Inside the NBA on TNT [4]. The sources do not agree on when his time with the show began. NBC Sports says he was there when the show started in 1989 [2], while the Hall of Fame dates his start to 1990 [4].

Kenny Smith joined the desk in 1998, Charles Barkley in 2000 and Shaquille O'Neal in 2011 [2]. NBC Sports says the show's peak came after those additions [2].

Johnson's work went well beyond the studio desk. The Hall of Fame lists him as MLB host from 2007, NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament host from 2011, and a host of Turner's NFL coverage from 1990 to 1997 [4]. He was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2023, the same year the National Sports Media Association named him National Sportscaster of the Year [4].

What comes next for the show

The show now airs on ABC and ESPN, and the reports do not name a successor for Johnson [3] [1]. Nor do they say how the studio format will change once he is gone [2].