“Never Considered Inside the NBA Our Competition”: ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Confesses About Charles Barkley and Co.’s Strong Team

None of us are ready to say goodbye to the Inside Guys. When we say “us”, even the show’s competitors, including Stephen A. Smith, are included. As the 2024-25 season looks set to be the last of the iconic team on TNT with the NBA reportedly reaching an agreement with NBC, Stephen A. gave his two cents on his supposed competitors. The ESPN analyst stated that although he never viewed Inside the NBA as a rival, losing this great show and legendary crew would be a disappointing loss. 

In the latest segment of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the 56-year-old analyst revealed that he never considered TNT a rival because they are different networks. While TNT focuses on entertainment, ESPN is a sports news network. 

“Let me shock y’all with something. Y’all might not realize. I’ve never considered Inside the NBA our competition. First of all, they’re phenomenal and they’re the standard but secondly, our networks are different. ESPN is a sports news network. TNT and their show, straight-up entertainment,”  Smith said on the show.

Interestingly, he also noted that the two shows air at different times. While the Inside the NBA is aired on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Smith’s shows are on Wednesdays or Fridays.

For so long, we have seen the silly revenge pranks and hilarious banter between the hosts of the two shows, so Smith’s opinion was rather surprising. However, he also stated the reasons. Furthermore, he also went on to appreciate the amazing work the Inside the NBA crew has been doing for two decades. 

Stephen A. Smith’s final verdict on the TNT Sports issue with the NBA rights

To everyone’s relief, the network has been pulling out all the stops to retain the NBA rights. One of their options also includes joining hands with Smith’s ESPN, which is owned by Disney. 

The deal seemed nearly sealed when Comcast-owned NBC offered $2.5 billion; it was followed by TNT CEO David Zaslav’s statement that TNT doesn’t need the NBA to thrive. Although Shaquille O’Neal has expressed optimism and offered encouragement, Charles Barkley has been feeling stressed about the situation.

Speaking on the matter, Smith declared that TNT must do everything in its power to keep the crew together. “I don’t give a damn what network you are if you have an opportunity to have Charles Barkley Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith together you do not break that up I don’t give a s**t what anybody says you keep that together you don’t mess with it at all,” Smith said.

Furthermore, there’s another reason for Smith advocating not to break the Inside the NBA crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny The Jet Smith, and Ernie Johnson. He has not yet taken his revenge. Smith has not officially forgiven Barkley for comparing him to Boston Celtics guard Derrick White. So, even if it’s for revenge, we hope TNT could win the negotiation war.