Why Inside the NBA will go down as the greatest sports show ever

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Friends,

How many of you watch the Super Bowl for the Halftime Show and commercials? I like to think this applies to almost half of overall viewership. For many, the Super Bowl is almost like a holiday, more of a reason to get together and enjoy good food, drinks, and socializing than anything else. Well, there’s another show on television that a lot of casual or non-NBA fans watch for reasons other than its intended purpose. “Inside the NBA” is a postgame studio show for the NBA and is broadcast by TNT. The show offers lighthearted postgame analysis, top stories, and everything else in between.

Ernie Jonson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley are the best. They all have personalities that mesh really well. And you can tell they genuinely love and care for one another. It shows! All four of them know when it’s time to be funny and serious. Ok, I’m lying, they’re usually goofing around for most of the show. But they know how to mix in the serious with the funny. I hope I’m making sense. It’s the sort of chemistry and continuity that takes years to establish.

In 1989, its inaugural season, there were no permanent hosts or game analysts. The following year, Ernie Johnson accepted full-time hosting duties, along with guest appearances from current NBA players and coaches. The show’s primary focus was more of a recap of the day’s games than anything else.

Houston Rocket legend, Kenny Smith was the first to be offered a full-time role in 1998, Charles Barkley came a few years later, in 2000, and who can forget the big fella, Shaquille O’Neal joined in 2011.

Why the show works

Of the four, Charles Barkley is the most outspoken. He’s known for his dynamic, larger-than-life personality on and off the basketball court. On the set, Barkley knows how to strike the perfect balance, he’ll tell you a funny story or crack a joke on Shaq and Kenny one minute, and turn right around and call someone out the next. He is always speaking out. Whether it’s social justice issues, politics, or gender inequality, Charles is not afraid to speak his mind.

Shaquille O’Neal is the most successful of the four, on and off the basketball court. The man has his hands in just about everything. He is usually the one giving out basketball expertise from a big man’s perspective. One of his famous quotes is “barbecue chicken,” referring to a player who is easily being dominated on the court. The phrase is a metaphor used to describe how easy it is to handle a particular player, usually because the player is much smaller. Shaq is the most playful out of the group, and this is just his way of keeping things lighthearted. The phrase is very popular within the basketball community. Catch a quick 11-second clip of Stacy King, the Chicago Bulls co-lead color commentator, using the phrase below.

Kenny Smith holds everything together. He’s the glue, the point guard. He’s knowledgeable about the game and knows just the right time to chime in and give his take. He doesn’t just blurt out whatever’s on his mind like Charles and Shaq. But hey, that’s why the show works. Kenny comes in and picks up the pieces. But Kenny knows how to have a good time as well. My favorite segment of the show is called the Race to the Board. This is when Kenny Smith rushes to the touchscreen board to break down and analyze game footage. The reason why this is so funny is because Kenny is known for having really bad knees, he’s knock-kneed. So it takes him forever to walk to the board. Now, just about every time Kenny gets ready to walk to the board, you’ll see Shaq, Charles, or Ernie make eye contact, and bam, off to the races. It’s the funniest thing ever lol. You need to see this for yourself. Watch below.

Ernie Johnson is the host of “Inside the NBA.” He’s been the host since 1990 and is known for his knowledge of the game and professionalism. But more importantly, he’s the perfect moderator. I’ll explain it like this. Ernie can remain unbiased and neutral throughout all discussions. He makes sure all viewpoints are heard and respected, making way for an open-minded and balanced discussion.

“Inside the NBA” will go down as the greatest sports show ever. The show can’t be duplicated. I doubt if anyone would try, but if they did, I can almost guarantee they’d fail. They laugh, fight, and poke fun at each other, but they love one another, they’re brothers, and the love permeates the room on each and every show. “Inside the NBA” combines the perfect balance of professionalism, knowledge, humor, and compassion. If you ever get a chance to watch, please do.

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