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Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal Have Officially Called Out ESPN

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 10:19 PM ET

TNT's NBA coverage officially ended Saturday night. The Inside The NBA crew doesn't seem intent on toning down its show for ESPN.

The Indiana Pacers closed the Eastern Conference Finals with a Game 6 victory over the New York Knicks. ESPN will broadcast the NBA Finals, so Saturday marked the final game of TNT's expiring media rights contract with the NBA.

Although the Inside The NBA crew signed off on TNT, they'll stay together on a new home. ESPN will simulcast the beloved studio show, which will still feature Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson.

During their post-game farewells, O'Neal turned an emotional message into a warning for the sports media landscape.

"Even though the name changes, the engine is still the same," O'Neal said. "To that new network we coming to, we're not coming to eff around. Since this is the last show, I'm gonna say it. We not coming to f**k around. We're kicking ass, we're taking names, and we're taking over."

Smith followed his colleague's lead and dropped another F-bomb on the live TNT broadcast.

"This has been a magnificent ride," Smith added. "And as Shaq said, we ain't coming to f**k around."

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 13: (L-R) Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith attend the Turner Upfront 2015 at Madison Square Garden on May 13, 2015 in New York City. 25201_002_TW_0189.JPG (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Turner)Getty

Barkley is usually the one most liable to get TNT in trouble, and he's taken some shots at ESPN while preparing to switch networks. However, the lombastic Hall of Famer played nice with his new employers during his final speech.

"To ESPN, it's gonna be an honor and a privilege to work for you guys," Barkley said. "You guys are the number one sports network in history, and I'm excited for it. You guys got some tremendous talent over there. I'm looking forward to working with those guys."

Johnson admitted that he's sad to leave TNT but assured fans that they'll see the same "foolishness" and "top-notch basketball analysis" on ESPN.

"As you've already heard, the four of us are gonna be together. Our production crew is gonna be together," Johnson said. "It's gonna be that same bunch. We're still gonna be shooting that show in Atlanta; it's just gonna air somewhere else."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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