Inside the NBA
| Inside The NBA | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Starring |
Ernie Johnson Jr. Charles Barkley Kenny Smith Shaquille O'Neal Chris Webber David Aldridge Kevin Garnett |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Turner Studio J Atlanta, Georgia |
| Running time | 30–60 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network |
TNT (1989–present) NBA TV (2003–present) |
| Original release | November 3, 1989 – present |
Inside the NBA is the postgame show for NBA on TNT broadcasts. The program features host Ernie Johnson with analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal, with supporting or fill-in analysts including Chris Webber and Grant Hill. The show has won nine Emmy Awards, while Johnson has won three as a studio host and Barkley has won two as a studio analyst. O'Neal won an Emmy in 2012 as a studio analyst as well.
Inside the NBA has gained popularity in recent years for the chemistry and banter of the hosts, particularly since Barkley joined the show in 2001.
Barkley has been known for his controversial comments and outrageous bets. During the 2006 NBA Playoffs, in response to performer David Blaine's attempt to stay under water for nine minutes, Barkley duplicated the stunt with a small tub of water but only managed to stay under water for 24 seconds. In late 2002, Barkley told Kenny Smith that he would "kiss [his] ass" if Houston Rockets then-rookie Yao Ming scored nineteen points in a game, which was followed by Yao doing exactly that later that week. As a result, on Listen Up! With Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson that Thursday, Barkley kissed the rear end of a donkey that Smith brought into the studio. Barkley has also been weighed on air several times, and once said "bullshit" live on air. In 2002, a controversial Sports Illustrated cover, in which Barkley was portrayed in chains (as a slave), led to a sometimes heated debate on the TNT studio show.
Following the release of Django Unchained, Barkley will joke he isn't going to "take it any more master," referring to Ernie Johnson. Johnson has a whip sound effect he uses when Barkley or O'Neal's conversations go far off topic, and for a segment called "The Whip" that provoked jokes from the other hosts - for example, Smith saying, "Revolt, revolt!" Smith has also been the brunt of jokes before, an example being the "retirement" of his jersey on air. In reality, it was a Tracy McGrady jersey with Smith's name put on a clothesline and "raised" to the TNT studio roof on a clothesline with various undergarments. Most of the jokes were featured as Ernie Johnson's E.J.'s Neat-O Stat of the Night, the show's closing segment.
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