As host of Inside the NBA, Ernie Johnson usually lets Charles Barkley say whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
But there is one weakness that Johnson has to watch for, even when Barkley is on a roll.
That weakness is that Barkley tends to repeat himself. The former NBA MVP and beloved TNT commentator has such a great feel for when he’s onto something or gives a great line that he tends to go back to it over and over.
Johnson teased his Inside pal about the redundancy in a recent appearance onThe Draymond Green Show, explaining why he doesn’t want Barkley to stop.
“Chuck has a bad habit of repeating himself. He’ll make a point, and then repeat it three more times,” Johnson laughed. “Sometimes, I just need to let him know, you just said that four times, I’m not going to let you say it five times.”
A good example came during Barkley’s latest retort to ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins during the first week of March. Barkley caught Perkins on a bad line that the Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic “saved the NBA season” and used it to skewer the worldwide leader for over-covering the Lakers.
But what could have been a 90-second rant went on for minutes and then became a recurring theme throughout the rest of that night’s Inside the NBA.
Knowing how to rein Barkley in is part of the balancing act Johnson has to play as an anchor.
“It’s all feel,” he said of how he and the TNT producers keep the show loose while not allowing topics to get tired.
The people who make Inside know that the show’s authenticity and casual vibe make it popular. Fine-tuning those qualities is an art, not a science.
But Johnson believes allowing Barkley and Co. to shoot from the hip and occasionally make mistakes is vital to finding that perfect mix.
Charles Barkley at Knicks-Lakers halftime: “I’m not a hater. I’m just worried about people on the other network (ESPN). They’re gonna be sad tomorrow. They’re gonna be sad and crying. (Crying noises) A Laker loss!…”
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Ernie Johnson: “Do me a favor. Let it go…” 😂😂😂 https://t.co/18PPaS51AR pic.twitter.com/o7KJ86Mje9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 7, 2025
“When you go back to the free-flowing conversation, it goes back to the fact that these guys are not in the production meeting. Because we don’t want the show laid out so they’re thinking about, ‘what am I going to say about that?'” Johnson said. “We’ve seen enough shows that are so rehearsed … with us, it’s like, jeez who knows how it’s gonna go with all this stuff flying back and forth. And I think that’s why it resonates. It gives you more of that feel like you’re sitting in the room with your fellas watching. Nobody’s asking for permission to talk.”
The many successful decades Inside has been on the air serve as proof that the show’s recipe works. Johnson and the producers are more than willing to let Charles Barkley repeat himself or beat a point into the ground to ensure that he comes in guns blazing once again the next time he wants to say something.