The Inside Guys aren’t going anywhere. The lawsuit between TNT Sports and the NBA was finally settled and they’ve decided to keep Inside the NBA alive. A few months ago, the league signed the massive media rights deal that ended TNT’s tenure. It immediately sent shockwaves in the hoop nation, as the fans couldn’t come to terms with the ending of their beloved show post the 2024-25 season. Now, fans have a positive update! However, they are a bit worried too! Let’s find out why.

Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA have finally come to a settlement after Disney, the majority owner of ESPN Inc. agreed to license the fan-favorite show to ESPN and ABC from the next season. Charles Barkley once had an uncanny thing to say when TNT lost the race to get itself included. “It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans.”

Now, the industry bigs seem to have understood the importance of fans’ needs and agreed upon the massive shift! A clip from April, however, has gone viral when Chuck pulled out his antics. He went on a sarcastic rant after the Pelicans went 3-0 down in their first-round series.

He said, “We are even gonna sit in the Cancun. We’re gonna sit in the Galveston with that dirty a– water… We’re not getting them, no plane tickets to the beach. We’re sitting there at the Galveston, Texas., right where that dirty water washed up on,” leaving Shaq to crack up uncontrollably. But, why has this gone viral now? How do the fans feel about Inside the NBA moving networks?

ESPN’s version of ‘Inside the NBA’ leaves fans unsettled

One of the main reasons for the success of this hoops show was its panel. A panel stacked with legendary ballers like Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and the familiar presenter, Ernie Johnson. Most importantly, they’re effortlessly funny! The constant back and forth, the pranks, and many hilarious elements always keep the fans engaged, and this turned these panelists into household names. Of course, it might evoke anxiousness when the rival network acquires the show.

A fan wrote, “ESPN is going to neuter and ruin the show.” This fan wasn’t alone, as multiple fans reacted on the same line, fearing that Disney/ESPN would “ruin” the show. On the other hand, another fan left a warning note for the big heads of ESPN, writing, “ESPN execs need to stay out the way and not f–k up the chemistry.” Absolutely, it would be another sigh of relief if they retain the entire crew behind the working of Inside the NBA to keep the chemistry and nature of the show intact.

On the other hand, some fans ignored the fear and expressed their happiness as the show would continue to stick around. A fan wrote, “Prayers have been answered.” When news surfaced that TNT wouldn’t match either Prime’s $1.8 billion offer or NBC’s $2.5 billion offer, fans created a movement across the country, asking for them to match the offer. While TNT failed to do so back then, the fans’ prayers have been answered in some form.

While on one end fans debated over ESPN taking over, on the end, the Galveston citizens had separate reactions. A fan wrote, “Galveston is the new San Antonio.” Earlier, Chuck had made a similar mockery out of San Antonio women, causing a huge uproar.

It went out of reach at one point where TNT had interfered and asked the NBA legend not to make such statements anymore. Speaking of the ban thrown at him, Chuck had said, “If you crack a joke the wrong way… they’re like, ‘Oh, no, no, no, you crossed the line.’ I mean, they won’t even let me talk about San Antonio anymore… You can’t even have fun nowadays without these characters trying to get you canceled.” Well, this edginess and quirkiness is what impressed the fans, whether their team had played well or not.

What do you think of fans’ fear of the show moving to ESPN? Let us know in the comments.