A charged silence filled the Atlanta studio on May 31, 2025, as Shaquille O’Neal—towering over his co-hosts yet visibly pensive—stared into the camera during the final TNT broadcast of “Inside the NBA”.
Beneath his trademark grin and booming voice lay a trembling uncertainty. Could the show he helped define survive the leap from TNT to ESPN and ABC without losing its raw, unfiltered magic?
For over 35 years, “Inside the NBA” has set the gold standard for sports studio shows, blending incisive analysis with irreverent humor and unscripted banter. Anchored by Ernie Johnson Jr., Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaq, the program thrived on the quartet’s electrifying chemistry and fearless commentary.
However, a seismic shift in NBA media rights triggered its migration. In July 2024, the league inked an 11-year, $76 billion television rights deal with ESPN/ABC, NBC, and Amazon, leaving TNT without game-broadcasting privileges.
Now, the 21 Sports Emmy Award-winning show changes its broadcast address from TNT to ESPN. But Shaq’s “concerns” are about the show’s soul and if things would change under the new banner.
Shaq Wishes to Safeguard “Inside the NBA’s” Soul as It Jumps to ESPN and ABC
Social media erupted with speculation. Was the four-time NBA champion overcome by emotion, or was there something else at play? Fans were certain that they were witnessing a rare glimpse of Shaq’s sentimental side.
Shaq’s tearful image became an overnight sensation. Fans speculated about the depth of his attachment to TNT and the agony of bidding farewell. When O’Neal appeared on “The Pivot Podcast” on June 3, he emphatically denied that he was crying for sentimental reasons. He hilariously blamed his watery eyes on allergies.
“No, I wasn’t crying. First of all, I don’t have emotions. I was raised by a drill sergeant, so I don’t have… So I have allergies and my eye leaks a lot, so like right now it’s leaking, so I was going like this,” he explained, insisting that it wasn’t genuine tears of sorrow but rather an unfortunate case of conjunctivitis coinciding with a highly charged moment.
Still, Shaq’s admission that only a handful of events in his life have moved him to tears underscores how significant that finale was. According to Yahoo! Sports, he revealed that throughout his storied basketball career and subsequent broadcasting tenure, he had only truly cried a few times. And that the finality of “Inside the NBA” on TNT ranks among those rare moments.
“Am I sad that the show is leaving? Yes, but I’ve been programmed to do something new after every four years. So I’ve been with Inside the NBA for 12 years, that’s three military terms, and now it’s just time to do something else.[…] I was raised where I’m not allowed to have emotions, I only cried twice…. three times.”
What an incredible moment by TNT honoring the ‘Inside the NBA’ crew with rings 💍
(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/vk0QQZ5lGH
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 2, 2025
For 12 consecutive years, Shaq had been an indispensable part of Ernie Johnson Jr.’s studio show, contributing viral “Shaqtin’ a Fool” segments, irreverent humor, and candid analyses that cemented “Inside the NBA” as an Emmy-winning institution.
Meanwhile, under a licensing agreement, TNT Sports will continue producing “Inside the NBA” out of Atlanta, even as the program airs on ESPN and ABC starting in the 2025–26 season. This arrangement promises continuity behind the scenes, with the same crew, set, and signature “Gone Fishin’” signoff—an homage to a storied run that began in 1989.
Still, Shaq’s biggest concern centers on whether ESPN and ABC will faithfully preserve the program’s freewheeling spirit, or whether network demands for tighter scripting and heavier commercial loads will erode the spontaneity viewers have come to love.
“Only thing I’m concerned with is we’re going on a bigger network, will they be able to handle our shenanigans? Can Charles talk about fat women in San Antonio? Can we talk about people’s hairlines and, you know, make them cut their hair? That’s the only thing I’m worried about, but it’s a new beginning, it’s a new challenge, and I’m hoping it’s something that we can step up to,” Shaq said.
As “Inside the NBA” prepares its inaugural ESPN/ABC broadcast for opening night of the 2025–26 season, all eyes will be on the show’s core crew. Time will tell whether ESPN and ABC honor the show’s storied legacy or transform it into yet another formulaic studio production.
For now, Shaq stands as guardian of the “Inside” ethos, ensuring that if any network crosses the line, he will be the first to sound the alarm. And given his reputation for speaking without a filter, few doubt Shaq will keep his promise to fight for the show’s unfiltered spirit—no matter where the broadcast logo appears.
