What if we told you Inside the NBA wasn’t always the wildly entertaining, must-watch show it is today? Back when it debuted during TNT’s first NBA season in 1989-90, the show was a far cry from its current glory. There wasn’t even a permanent host! Instead, a rotating lineup of names like Craig Sager, Hannah Storm, and Vince Cellini took turns leading the broadcast. And it wasn’t until the following year that Ernie Johnson Jr., a then-sideline reporter, stepped into the host chair. A role he still crushes decades later. Early on, the show kept things pretty simple.

As Ernie revealed in his book Unscripted, Inside the NBA was originally all about straightforward, scripted recaps. No surprises, no frills—just highlights and stats. Sound boring? Well, even Ernie admits it didn’t stand out much from other sports programs. “As the show evolved and TNT added in-studio analysts such as former NBA player Reggie Theus, former NBA coach Dick Versace, and women’s hoops legend Cheryl Miller, we started to stray a bit from the established formula. Still, the show didn’t look much different from what other networks were doing,” he stated in his book. But things started to change when TNT brought in Kenny Smith.

Both Johnson and Inside the NBA producer were impressed by Kenny Smith

You probably remember Kenny from his days as a sharp-shooting point guard who helped the Houston Rockets win back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. But what you might not know is how naturally he transitioned from the court to the studio.

As Johnson reveals in his book, it wasn’t long before everyone at TNT realized Kenny was more than just a former player—he had a knack for breaking the game down in a way that truly connected with fans. “When Kenny did a few guest spots, Tim Kiely [the show’s producer] and I looked at each other and said, ‘This guy’s got it,'” Johnson recalled in his book.

For those unaware, Tim Kiely has been one of the primary brains behind what Inside the NBA looked like by 2024. The idea to ditch the scrip and the teleprompters–all Kiely. And he’s often credited to assemble the show’s cast. Following, Johnson, Smith was the first piece in this puzzle. Soon, the chemistry between Johnson and Smith started turning heads, including one big name–Charles Barkley.

Charles Barkley considers TNT’s beloved show to be the best decision he ever made

According to Ernie Johnson’s book, NBC initially seemed like the obvious choice for Barkley’s post-retirement plans. Known as one of the league’s most colorful personalities, Sir Charles even hinted that he was ready to sign with them. But then he met with the folks at Turner Broadcasting, and everything changed. “He (Chuck) would say later that the show he watched on TNT simply looked like more fun than what he would be stepping into at NBC. And he wanted to be a part of it. Lucky us,” Johnson wrote.

Barkley, however, considers himself equally lucky. On the Throwbacks podcast, the ex-NBA star shared the story behind his career pivot. The host asked him a question many of us have probably wondered–Why TV? After all, wouldn’t coaching or staying close to the court make more sense for an 11-time All-Star? Barkley’s response was a refreshingly honest.

“It’s really difficult when you play sports trying to figure out the next aspect of your life because it’s not a lot,” Barkley admitted. And let’s be real—he wasn’t about to clock into a nine-to-five job. “We’ve never had a real job in our life,” he quipped. Coaching? Too much work. Instead, Barkley credits luck for landing him his TV gig, saying, “We got lucky and got one of this TV gig.”

But it wasn’t just luck. Barkley’s mentor, Dick Ebersol, nudged him toward TV, planting the seed for what would become a defining chapter in his life. Looking back, Barkley calls the TNT move “one of the greatest decisions of my life.” However, things did not fall into place for everyone on the show like previous members.

Shaquille O’Neal did not have a smooth start with Inside the NBA’s cast

When Shaq joined Inside the NBA in 2011, integrating into the established dynamic of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson wasn’t as seamless as one might expect. During an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast, Smith recalled the unique challenges Shaq’s arrival brought to the table. And the hilarious turning point that finally brought harmony to the show.

From the start, Bid Diesel’s larger-than-life persona was on full display. He arrived with an entourage and even created a hookah lounge at the studio, complete with a TV setup outside. “We got a green room. Like, yo, me and Chuck in the green room. We’ve been doing this for 15 years together. This dude’s gonna come in, y’all gonna build a hookah lounge for him? Like, what the f— was going on?” Smith recalled.

O’Neal’s laid-back approach didn’t end there. He would occasionally skip watching games to practice DJing. A habit that irked Smith and Barkley. So, one night, Shaq’s on-air comments revealed he hadn’t been keeping up with the game. Sensing an opportunity, Chuck and Kenny relentlessly teased him live on-air, prompting their producer to intervene.

Initially, the producer criticized them, but when Smith defended the show’s trademark banter, he got the green light to continue. That moment marked a shift in their relationship. Smith explained on All the Smoke from that day on, it was all smooth sailing with Shaq on the Inside the NBA set. And there has hardly been any doubt that any of this would change with the show moving to ESPN in 2025 as per the 2024 deal between NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery, settling the legal dispute between the two.

New setting for Inside the NBA

As per the new deal, the crew will remain the same and TNT will continue to produce show while it will remain Atlanta-based. However, it might not be the weekly show it currently is. The official statement from ESPN reads:

“The legendary ‘Inside the NBA’ studio team will appear on ESPN and ABC surrounding high-profile live events, including ESPN’s pregame, halftime and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals on ABC, conference finals, NBA playoffs, all ABC games after January 1, Christmas Day, opening week, the final week of the season and other marquee live events.”

But there is one hiccup in terms of contracts of the crew. While Johnson, Smith, and Barkley have overall deals with Turner Sports, Shaq, covering just NBA on the network, isn’t signed in for the 2025-26. Reports state that the 4x champion is in negotiations for a new contract but there haven’t been any developments reported as of November 22nd. But Shaq is all on board to be back with the crew, frustrated even that he is still not in contract while the congratulations are flowing in. So expect the 21-Emmy awards winning show back to its form for the next season.