After more than 25 years of laughs, highlights, hot takes, and legendary Shaquille O’Neal moments, Inside the NBAsigned off from TNT on Saturday night. But don’t call it a goodbye—at least not if you ask Shaq.
Broadcasting live from Indianapolis, just after the Pacers clinched the Eastern Conference Finals over the Knicks, the Inside the NBA crew wrapped up their final TNT show in true four-horsemen style. Shaq, never one to exit quietly, made sure the world—and more importantly, ESPN—knows that the show isn’t slowing down. In fact, it’s just getting started.
“Even though the name changes, the engine is still the same,” Shaq said, hyping up the crowd. “And to the new network we’re coming to, we’re not coming to eff around. And since it’s our last show, I’m gonna say it: we not coming to f*** around! We kicking ass! We taking names, and we taking over, OK?!”
Crew of Inside the NBA wearing their “Gone Fishin” hats. For the full video, click here.
The fans behind the set erupted in cheers, and Shaq’s co-hosts—Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley—laughed right along with the moment. Shaq wasn’t done, either. “Let me see that number one time for the number one show ever on TV,” he shouted, getting the crowd fired up once more. “And we coming over to take over that next network too!”
Classic Shaq—loud, hilarious, and 100% unapologetic.
While Shaq brought the fire, Charles Barkley offered a more polished send-off to the show’s new home. “To ESPN, it’s gonna be an honor and a privilege to work for you guys,” Barkley said. “You’re the number one sports network in history. I’m excited for it. You’ve got some tremendous talents over there, and I’m looking forward to co-working with those guys.”
For fans worried about the end of an era, there’s good news: this isn’t really the end. Yes, TNT is losing NBA broadcast rights starting next season, but the Inside the NBA crew is sticking together. ESPN has signed on to carry the show, and it will still be produced out of TNT’s Atlanta studios.
That means Ernie, Kenny, Chuck, and Shaq will all be back—just with a new logo in the corner of the screen. Barkley, Smith, and Johnson have been on the show since 2000. Shaq joined the gang in 2012 and quickly became the X-factor with his bold takes, physical comedy, and those occasional FCC-defying moments.
So while one chapter closes, another opens—and according to Shaq, it’s going to be bigger, louder, and even more dominant than ever. In his own words: “You can’t kill the four horsemen.”