Ernie Johnson will retire as host of “Inside the NBA” after the season, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer announced in a social media video on Wednesday.
Johnson, 70, will continue covering the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for CBS and Turner Sports.
The announcement generated two separate discussions across the industry. One about Johnson’s legacy. The other concerns the obvious. His departure creates an opening on one of the most prestigious and popular shows in sports media.
Speaking to sources Wednesday, no one was confident in who would succeed Johnson just yet. For one, “Inside the NBA” remains a TNT production, despite moving to ESPN airwaves last season. Skydance Corporation, which owns TNT and CBS, controls the show. ESPN does not.
That said, ESPN will likely influence the decision. Malika Andrews, ESPN’s current NBA host, is a plausible candidate.
Andrews hosted the network’s NBA Finals coverage before the deal with “Inside the NBA.” She currently hosts ESPN’s daily basketball show, “NBA Today,” and its pregame show, “NBA Countdown.”
The question is whether Andrews can preserve the show’s signature off-the-cuff identity. She has struggled in the past when covering topics involving serious issues.
She previously teared up on set while discussing the Supreme Court’s decision to return abortion laws to the states and falsely claimed that the Constitution prohibits doing so. It does not. Andrews also made false claims about Kyle Rittenhouse carrying weapons across state lines. Not ideal.
Adam Lefkoe is the other candidate frequently mentioned by sources. Lefkoe is a TNT employee who previously hosted a Tuesday edition of “Inside the NBA” and has filled in for Johnson in recent years. He also has a rapport with Shaquille O’Neal, who will remain an analyst on the show. Lefkoe and O’Neal co-host “The Big Podcast.”
After Lefkoe and Andrews, opinions were mixed regarding other candidates. Qualified NBA hosts are not simply waiting for an opportunity.
Most of ESPN’s top hosts are occupied elsewhere. Mike Greenberg and Scott Van Pelt host NFL pregame shows. Rece Davis hosts both the football and basketball editions of “GameDay.”
Laura Rutledge works across the NFL and college football and should be in line to succeed Van Pelt in the coming years. Each would be a quality replacement for Johnson, but for one reason or another, they may not want the job.
Another potential factor is Charles Barkley.
Barkley has said this will also be his final season on the show. However, he has made that claim many times before, only to return the following year. Barkley’s departure could dramatically change the show’s style.
Former ESPN commentator Jalen Rose is reportedly his likely replacement, as disappointing as that may be.
Bluntly put, the options to replace Ernie Johnson are not ideal. It is therefore fair to question how promising the future of “Inside the NBA” is.