Stephen A's Take: Stephen A reacts to the legendary TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ moving to ESPN.

Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
I got to get to another story that made headlines
throughout the season that came to an epic conclusion on
Saturday night in Indianapolis, and that's the NBA Basketball on TNT.
Inside the NBA and tn t Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley,
Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neil Shag Diesel, along with the
Live event team, broadcast their final game Saturday on TNT.
It was the end of a thirty five year run
of basketball on DNT on TNT. However, Inside the NBA

(00:26):
will carry on next season with ESPN. ESPN Chimmy Jimmy
Pataro came up with the idea to obtain the rights
to Inside the NBA and put it on the air
as is so next season and going forward, Inside the
NBA will continue to be produced by TNT Sports and listen.
I get the nostalgia, I get the affection that you
have for TNT. Listen, their an institution. We love Ernie Johnson.

(00:51):
He's the institution, and the fellas are the fellas. But
I was so happy Saturday night that they sated off
the way that they did pay homage to all the
people that they worked with, all the lives that they touched.
It's been the best basketball show on television. There is
no debate about that. These guys are phenomenal. All of
them are friends of mine, so I couldn't be happier

(01:11):
that they're coming over to ESPN. But it is important
to note that they're coming over to the ESPN just
the channel, the same crew, the same production team, the
same studio they do it from. The show is theirs.
It's just going to air on ESPN instead of TNT.
And so while everybody was quit to write the epitaph

(01:32):
of the show on TNT is the big deal for
them because they had, in Ernie Johnson's case, a damn
near forty year relationship with them. I understand that, but
please know that if you're the fan base, what you've
been seeing from them is what you're going to get.
ESPN ain't changing them. They can't change them. Same production team,

(01:53):
same studio in Atlanta, same personnel, same producers. It's their show.
That is what we are bringing to ESPN. It's just
going to air on the channel. But what you've been
seeing is what you're going to get, if not better,
As Shaq said and even Kenny Smith said, for the

(02:14):
purposes of their last show. They cussed, They said, we
ain't fucking around, were coming to do our thing. Yeah,
and we can't wait. Honored to have them as colleagues
at ESPN. Honored, but I've known them for many, many years. Myself,
big perking, everybody else included. Whenever they need us, we'll
be there when they don't need us. They don't need us,

(02:34):
It's just that simple. We all got other jobs to do.
Can't wait for them to air their show on ESPN.
But what you've been seeing is what you're going to get,
so don't think it's going to be any different,