“Inside the NBA” on TNT is the greatest sports studio show of all time, in any sport — funny, smart and overflowing with personality.
Charles Barkley, the former Phoenix Suns great, is unquestionably the star, but it’s an ensemble show at heart, the strongest lineup of which consists of Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal; Ernie Johnson, the host, holds the whole thing together.
But it’s not the same.
Where was Shaq Sunday?
Sunday’s show was a reminder: O’Neal wasn’t there (Carter was). A TNT spokesperson said O’Neal was just absent on May 19 and that he will return for the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, which begins Wednesday, May 22.
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But any absence is under scrutiny at the moment, as TNT Sports negotiates with the NBA to retain broadcast rights under the league’s new TV contract. There is speculation that TNT Sports will lose out to NBC — a momentous shift. TNT has had broadcast rights for NBA games since 1989.
The ‘Inside the NBA’ crew could be broken up
It’s impossible to imagine that whatever network wins out on the rights would keep the “Inside the NBA” team together; Johnson in particular is expected to stay with TNT Sports. And what would Barkley and the rest have to talk about without the NBA? (There was Barkley’s short-lived CNN show with Gayle King, “King Charles.” Don’t remember it? Exactly.)
Adding fuel to the fire, O’Neal posted this on his Instagram page on Sunday, May 19: “Humble enough to know I can be replaced, but wise enough to know ain’t nobody else like me.”
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Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.
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