Six decades ago, one man with a vision for equality was born. Four decades ago, his birthday became symbolic of his famous ‘dream.’ Sports, especially basketball, got center stage in bringing a fractured society together from that moment. January 20 officially became a federal holiday after Martin Luther King in 1986. The NBA was in its new era then because of the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan. Like Christmas, MLK Day games became the NBA thing. As of 2003, the MLK Day games have been a TNT staple. Now 2025 marked the end of an era in NBA viewing.

For the last time tonight, we saw Ernie, Chuck, Shaq, and Kenny break down the MLK Day games tonight on Inside the NBA. It coincided with the presidential inauguration but this is still the biggest day in basketball. TNT headlined 23 MLK Day games and survived extinction from the shifting NBA media rights deal. The show will continue on ESPN. But MLK Day games are now NBC territory.

MLK Day marks end of an NBA era

Tonight’s Inside the NBA was emotional for more than one reason. The TNT crew dove deep into the archives, not only to celebrate Dr Martin Luther King and more civil rights icons, but they also brought back memories of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal spending this day over the years as analysts on MLK Day games.

There was more – athletes and coaches reflecting on Dr. King’s influence, spotlights on more activists, and TNT’s tributes to many. But there’s some things that won’t be the same.

Tonight was probably the last time Ernie narrated stories deep from the archives of Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and Atlanta’s rich history in the Civil Rights Movement. We’d probably have to hear Kenny’s experiences elsewhere. Chuck will send out reminders to be grateful in other ways. Shaq thanked the TNT staff for making MLK Day educational but they’d probably not be involved in this again.

With TNT shut out of the new NBA media rights deal worth $76 billion, MLK Day Games have a new home. NBC will air the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day doubleheader starting 2026 for the next 11 years.

Inside the NBA will be exclusively licensed to ESPN from the next season. But these games likely won’t be on ESPN. While nothing is stopping the Inside Guys from paying tributes to Dr King via ESPN, breaking down these games live won’t be their responsibility anymore.

TNT’s MLK Day History

Since the Reagan administration officialized MLK Day, the NBA games were traditionally aired on cable instead of a nationally televised network. They weren’t an annual tradition either when TBS aired NBA games unless dates lined up. Then in 1994, TNT aired the first nationally televised MLK Day game.

There was a drought of MLK Day games, a lockout, and then some. In 2002, the then media deal expired. Disney-owned ABC/ESPN acquired NBC’s package while TNT retained its own package. Then in 2003, a year after Shaq and Kobe three-peated, January 20 was a new official day within the NBA.

The MLK Day games was exclusively broadcast on TNT, and occasionally shared with NBA TV (2009 to 2010, 2023 to 2025) and ESPN (2011 to 2016). Ernie and Kenny’s conversations from locations significant to the Civil Rights Movement replaced the Race to the Board. The four of them also had moving moments within the Civil Rights Museum. And Ernie was usually the voice behind TNT’s Dr King tributes.

While ESPN has aired MLK Day games before, the new media deal might not make it possible. Sentimentality aside, commercially this could mean some repercussions too as this day is usually a ratings goldmine. There’s been some criticism of the NBA turning Dr King’s birthday into a cashgrab. When NBA ratings are a hot potato right now, the leagues conventional practices shifting hands are touchey subject too.

If the NBA is the centrepiece of this day, the Inside Guys reconnected sports and civil rights principles (as Jackie Robinson influenced Dr. King and MLK influenced Bill Russell, but MLK Day Games came much later). That responsibility is going to NBC now who just picked up former TNT analyst, Jamal Crawford. But starting from 2026, MLK Day is going to feel a lot different with an all new crew.