Ernie Johnson announces he's leaving 'Inside the NBA'

"Just to be clear, I'm not retiring," the 70-year-old Johnson 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."

“I’ve always vowed that if ever became more of a challenge than it is a joy, then I’ll know it’s time to step away. Now after 37 seasons, it’s time.”

Johnson has led the "Inside the NBA" crew for 37 years, 27 of those playing the role of ringmaster that often corrals and plays off the clown posse of Kenny Smith (joined in 1998) and Hall of Famers Charles Barkley (2000) and Shaquille O'Neal (2011).

Barkley, who signed a 10-year contract extension with TNT in 2022 worth an estimated $210 million, has repeatedly said the when Johnson goes, he goes.

Per Yahoo Sports, Barkley revealed on an episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast" on Sept. 6, 2026 that he and Johnson had agreed to stay on the program for two more years after it moved from TNT to ESPN last season. That means that this coming season will be the last for the duo, unless things change.

Johnson, a six-time Sports Emmy Award winner who entered the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2023, has made his intentions clear. Will Barkley soon do the same?