3 Reasons Why Inside the NBA's Move to ESPN Spells Trouble
Inside the NBA dropped the mic on Saturday night to conclude a stellar 35-year history on TNT that will be remembered for generations. But while TNT is no longer in the business of broadcasting basketball, the crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal will be taking their talents to ESPN.
There are mixed feelings about this change. Some feel that Inside the NBA will continue to flourish with their new network with more public attention and more opportunities to involve other TV personalities. Some feel that ESPN will take control of the show’s layout and take away its ambience and never-ending laughs.
I tend to be in the latter camp. I don’t believe ESPN cares much about honoring tradition when there are clearly adjustments they can make to Inside the NBA that will increase their year-end revenue. Thus, I’m worried for the show. Let’s dig into why I feel this way.
1. ESPN’s Current Programming Layout
When Inside the NBA does their halftime show on TNT, I’m tuned in. When ESPN cuts to their halftime show, I use it as 15 minutes to get something to eat, make a call, take a shower, etc. This is how it tends to play out.
ESPN plays A LOT of commercials. Jimmy Pitaro, the chairman of ESPN, clearly understands that his lack of consistent panelists and TNT’s juggernaut halftime show mean that he can get away with playing 10 minutes of ads without many people getting fed up over the lack of a great halftime show. You can’t miss something you’ve never had.
Inside the NBA’s halftime show is a gem and needs at least 8 minutes of screen time including a long stretch of time in the middle to ramble about nonsense and joke around. But I doubt ESPN will go along with their style. ESPN is the Jeff Bezos of sports networks. They’ll undercut any employee who doesn’t entertain to their lofty standards. If someone isn’t box office enough, ESPN has no problem kicking them to the curb. Just ask Zach Lowe or Max Kellerman—some of the smartest, most dedicated guys in sports media, or Suzy Kolber who had worked at ESPN for 27 years. All of them were fired in the last two years.
I’m worried that ESPN will only endorse Ernie, Kenny, Chuck, and Shaq, and won’t endorse the style of show that they’ve become so effective at executing on TNT.
2. Stephen A. Smith
Like him or not, Stephen A. possesses more power than any on-air personality in all of sports media. The man wanted Max Kellerman fired and ESPN didn’t bat an eye. He wanted his own show and was immediately granted his wish. Stephen A. gets what he wants, and with Inside the NBA coming to ESPN, I assume that he wants nothing more than to get in on the world-famous show.
He’s already a part of ESPN’s pregame and halftime routine and he has relationships with all four members of the crew. Most importantly, Inside the NBA would be another major source of revenue for him, as the show will be one of the most popular programs on the network.
If you didn’t watch the video attached above, I recommend you do. You’ll hear how Ernie’s voice is completely drowned out as Stephen A’s voice echoes across the table. Rule number one: when Ernie talks, you listen. It’s also clear that Chuck’s role as the star of the show diminishes while Stephen A. steals the limelight. Rule number two: let Chuck cook. Finally, while this is just my personal opinion, I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that Stephen A. is just not funny. Chuck and Shaq are pure comedy and Kenny is the ultimate set-up man. Stephen A. would be like Jonathan Kuminga on the Warriors on this show—he just wouldn’t fit.
3. ESPN is Very Politically Correct
We don’t watch Inside the NBA for cutthroat basketball analysis—we watch for the laughs and the entertainment. TNT has let the crew (mostly Chuck) say pretty much anything they want. From flaming the “big ol’ women” of San Antonio and his rant about the Phoenix Suns to jokes about why women don’t wear watches, Chuck has pretty much offended every subsection of humanity. ESPN will not let this fly.
ESPN takes jokes about women and any conservative-leaning philosophies very seriously. A 2017 survey asked over 1,400 adults if they thought ESPN was politically biased. 63% said yes and that they were liberal-leaning. Heck, Stephen A. says about once per week that he’s going to run for president to take down Donald Trump.
It’s extremely unlikely that ESPN would fire Barkley or any other member of Inside the NBA for saying something out of line, but I can imagine they’ll have some serious conversations about on-air behavior before the show’s first airing on ESPN.
ESPN fired Paul Pierce for showcasing himself drinking and smoking with women on Instagram Live. Pierce spoke about his controversial firing, saying he was fired for “having a good time.” Rachel Nichols was canned for claiming ESPN’s “crappy record on diversity” was the reason Maria Taylor was selected to cover the NBA Finals over her.
All I’m saying is that important people have been fired for a lot less than some of the things Barkley and the rest of the crew have said, and as a result, it’s likely that we see a watered-down version of Inside the NBA next year.
There’s a reason the Inside the NBA crew has been bidding emotional goodbyes all season long—while their story will continue, it will never be the same as it’s been ever since Shaq joined Ernie, Kenny, and Chuck on TNT’s set in 2011. While the show must go on, it might be unrecognizable compared to the reality TV show that we’ve become so accustomed to loving for decades.
However it goes down, I can guarantee that we’ve seen the best of Inside the NBA. Thanks in advance, ESPN.
I agree with everything you said in #2. But you know how I feel about Stephen A...