The NBA’s partnership with TNT will be coming to an end, at least it seems that way. Well, fans hoped that Shaq, Ernie, Barkley, and Kenny’s employers would re-win the broadcasting rights. However, that doesn’t really seem to be happening, because Adam Silver and Co. are reportedly finalizing their deal with NBC and Amazon Prime. Can you fathom not seeing the beloved panel? From their crazy 3-point contests to Big Diesel lightheartedly making a fool out of Chuck, the loved crew have grown into a family over the years.

With the NBA rumored to ink the $76 billion agreement this offseason, it seemed like everyone who wanted Inside the NBA back had given up hope. However, the latest update on the situation seems to have brought along some good news for these fans. CEO of TNT Sports’ parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, who had yet to give an answer, publicly stated that “he may attempt to use language in the current contract to remain involved with the NBA.”

Executives with direct knowledge of the deals told The Athletic that if Zaslav goes through with this plan, “He is expected to target Amazon’s package.” Adam Silver and the board of Governors will be meeting in Las Vegas to finalize the contracts, which have been termed to be only a “formality”. Once those agreements are finalized, they will be sent to TNT Sports, and at that point, they’ll have 5 days to make a final decision.

Importantly, if Zaslav doesn’t intervene in current proceedings, the new NBA deal media rights deal can be expected to be officially announced before the Olympics (July 26th). Despite all the speculations about their debt, not allowing them to make a bid yet, everyone working at TNT has remained tight-lipped about the entire situation. However, the real question now is, were they quiet because there was nothing to say to the press, or were they secretly plotting an offer?

That brings us to the question, who exactly are the new partners, as part of the new deal? NBC, Amazon, ESPN, and Peacock have been included as the broadcasting stakeholders. From these, NBC and Amazon will include a different broadcast team. Whereas for ESPN, legendary Mike Breen will be “scheduled to be on the call for the league’s top event for 22 years.”

As an avid viewer of this pristine competition, it will be quite a different experience tuning in for games on different channels. While some made a fuss about the same, NBA legend, Kevin Durant seemed confident that basketball and its viewership would continue booming even though Shaq and Co. would be at its broadcasting helm.

“What I know about NBA fans is they find the game…So many people got different apps that don’t, people have TNT. The more, the better I think…It’s going to be incredible for the league going forward,” KD told the Wall Street Journal. That being said, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the new deal.

The new deal opens various broadcast avenues, but a TNT host is set to retire

Fans will be able to enjoy the NBA action each night on different networks. On Mondays, Peacock will be in charge, followed by NBC on Tuesdays, ESPN on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (during the NFL season), and Amazon on Thursdays. While Peacock will simulcast all NBC games, the Saturday night game will be a special ABC window. Yes, there might be some confusion while trying to understand the broadcast schedules and timings. However, once the deals are official, the dust will settle rather quickly.

Now, there is no doubt that longtime NBA fans would miss the halftime report on NBA on TNT. For many, watching Chuck, Shaq, and the beloved panel has been rather therapeutic more than anything else. Some of the funniest moments together on live television are from that show. Barkley, on the other hand, saw this coming and declared, “I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT…I have made the decision that, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television.”

Shaq, on the other hand, back in May, showed a great deal of confidence in Zaslav. “I don’t know [about the show’s future], but hopefully [Warner Bros. Discovery CEO] David Zaslav will take care of business, I’m sure he will,” he said. However, in June, he seems to have accepted fate too, as he highlighted a post that showcased the changing landscape of the league and how fans will need to eventually bid goodbye to many things that made the game special.

Do you really think the TNT will make a comeback? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what brand maker, Leonard Armato, had to say about the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe, check out this exclusive video by EssentiallySports.