It’s a sad day for the family that is Inside the NBA cast. The oldest running member of the show, Ernie Johnson, has suffered a major personal loss. His sister, who had been battling with cancer, is no longer in this world. Responding to the tragic news were Johnson’s brothers from the show—Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith—and Adam Lefkoe, who joined the cast for this particular segment.      

“Tonight we are going to pause for a moment to step away from basketball. And we’re going to send our deepest condolences to our friend and mentor, Ernie Johnson. Yesterday, Ernie’s beloved sister, Christine Johnson, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 72 years old,” Lefkoe initiated the heartbreaking conversation.

Adding to the condolence message, Charles Barkley highlighted how Ernie has been the leader of the family that their show became. This moment of grief, however, made Chuck recall all the hard times the cast has faced together. Whether it be the passing away of Kenny’s mom or when Shaq lost his sister.

“Cause, you know, I’ve been with Kenny 25 years, earning the same amount, and Shaq with double-digit years… These guys are like brothers… Ernie’s the leader of our family and our family leader is going through pain. So, man, we love you. We miss you. You stay at home and take care of your family,” Barkley said.

Adding on to Barkley’s message, even Shaq recalled the tough times that their quartet had battled together. “We definitely feel his [Ernie] pain. I definitely feel his pain… We feel the hurt. When I got the text, made me shed a tear because it made me think of my sister… Made me think of my father, made me think of Chuck’s mother. So we’re definitely hurting for you, Ernie. We love you. Take your time coming back…” he added, further expressing his condolences to Ernie and the rest of his family.

Kenny Smith, meanwhile, dealt with the hard news by recalling the positives that had happened for Ernie recently. He, however, understands how difficult this time can be for their co-host. “You be with someone over, you know, over two and a half decades, you. You get to see weddings… Get to see births, you get to see grandchildren born and all of that in that same realm. So, you know, you have to take some of the bad, but there’s been a lot of good. Tons. We love you, Ernie. We love you…” Smith added.

Ernie Johnson had earlier missed The Showdown 2024 in Las Vegas. And it was declared back then itself that the TNT analyst had to be home because of what at the time was described as a family matter. Little did anyone think the fans would later be hit by such tragic news.

Shaquille O’Neal also lost his sister, Ayesha, to cancer

Shaq faced one of the most heart-wrenching moments of his life when his sister, Ayesha Harrison-Jex, passed away on October 24, 2019. She was just 40 years old, losing a long and brave battle with cancer that had shadowed her life since high school. For Shaq, who has always been a family man, this loss was profoundly personal, leaving a void no achievement could fill.

Ayesha wasn’t just Shaq’s sister—she was part of his foundation. In Shaq Talks Back, she shared heartfelt memories of how he shaped their childhood, saying, “Shaquille taught us how to play basketball. He taught us how to swim. All four of us (siblings) used to just hang together.”

Imagine the bond that must have been built through moments like those!

When the tragic news emerged, Shaq’s co-hosts on Inside the NBA extended their condolences, knowing how much family means to him. And now the former Lakers star will himself have to act as the same pillar of support for Ernie Johnson in his tough time.