Inside the NBA on TNT is one of the most beloved programs on television, especially with longtime host Ernie Johnson leading the panel.
Johnson, who has worked for the network for more than three decades, is considered unlikely to leave Turner Sports any time soon.
But considering that TNT may lose broadcasting rights for the NBA and Barkley could become the most coveted sports media free agent, the future of the program remains uncertain.
RELATED: Ernie Johnson on life behind the scenes as the host of Inside the NBA
🧵 With the news that TNT might lose the NBA, it’s time to share the story about Ernie Johnson and the @NBAonTNT halftime show he made for my Bar Mitzvah.
It began w my dad and ended w me being called a drug addict & ballhog (fair, tbh) in front of family & friends
(1/X) pic.twitter.com/xuW8wfRRw9
— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024
With such uncertainty, fans of the show like author Ben Kaplan are paying tribute to Inside the NBA while it still exists.
Kaplan tweeted a thread about a Bar Mitzvah gift that he received from his father.
Back in 2000, Kaplan’s father called the folks at TNT to ask if they would record something for the occasion. Johnson was interested and sent back a VHS tape.
Here’s the first half of the report, featuring George Karl and Kenny. It’s cutesy and a neat thing for a teenage boy.
(Gonna cut this off before they get to Vecsey because that’s where the magic happens)
(6/X) pic.twitter.com/xzEE9oJm51
— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024
Johnson was joined by Kenny “The Jet” Smith, who is still a co-host of the show more than 20 years later.
They parodied an episode of Inside the NBA to report that Kaplan would skip high school and go straight to the pros.
While the two did not yet have Charles Barkley (who joined the show later that year) and Shaquille O’Neal (joined in 2011, this particular panel included former NBA head coach George Karl and veteran reporter Pete Vescey.
And here’s the second half. I still to this day have no idea how @PeterVecsey1 did this with a straight face. He knows he’s talking about a 13-yr-old on the biggest day of that kid’s life, with friends and family watching!
Incredible, incredible performance.
(7/X) pic.twitter.com/OduQqlz5gw
— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024
Karl and Vescey do not exactly have the same star power as Barkley and O’Neal. Kaplan, however, found Vescey’s message to him particularly funny.
Vescey joked that Kaplan needs an attitude adjustment, called him a selfish ball hog, and should require random drug testing.
All the stories about @TurnerSportsEJ being a special person are true. His generous acts, 20+ yrs apart, came to represent my relationship w my dad.
Ernie even shared his number w my dad. They texted here and there, usually while my dad was receiving treatments.
(12/X)
— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024
While the part of the story involving Vescey is very silly, there is also an incredibly heartwarming aspect as well. Kaplan shared that in 2022, his dad was fighting a rare cancer diagnosis and Johnson stepped up yet again.
Johnson recorded a special message for Kaplan’s father’s 72nd birthday, and he called it the best gift he ever received. The two began texting, especially while Kaplan’s father received treatments.
Kaplan’s father died in 2022 and as these stories resurfaced, Johnson tweeted his thoughts:
Ben, my friend. You think you do, but you have no idea what this series of events meant to me. My only explanation for the opportunity and the timing is, as @petermayermusic writes in his song “Loose in the World” is that this was all “the hand of the Divine.” Blessings on you and your family.
This is such a beautiful story the encapsulates what Inside the NBA means to so many people around the world.
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