There has been a weird subplot to the season-long goodbye to the NBA on TNT in that most of the attention to its swan song has been about the one element of its presentation that isn’t going anywhere.
Much of the focus of the farewell to the NBA on TNT has surrounded Inside the NBA. And naturally, there is good reason for it, as Inside the NBA is arguably the most popular, most important, and most influential sports show that has ever graced television. Inside the NBA changed the game in so many ways and has been beloved for decades for the entertainment it provides, even by sports fans who don’t watch NBA basketball.
But we have known since November that Inside the NBA would outlive the NBA on TNT after it was announced that ESPN had struck a licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to carry the show forward in exchange for some college football rights going the other way. Even though the NBA did not sign a new rights deal with WBD (choosing instead to partner with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon for the next 11 years), Inside the NBA will remain largely unchanged. TNT will still produce it, still feature the same cast, and still originate from Atlanta.
And yet, most of the tributes to the NBA on TNT have been reserved for Inside the NBA. Some of those have been tremendous and well-deserved. Others missed the mark and felt out of place. But the singular focus point on Inside the NBA has always felt awkward throughout the season because it is continuing at ESPN. Did we really need all the goodbyes for the same studio show that we are going to see on the air for opening night in October? (At least we hope it will be the same show.)
The same can’t be said for the overall presentation of the NBA on TNT. And it is a franchise that deserves a proper tribute that goes well beyond a studio show.
Following the Indiana Pacers’ defeating the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, it officially marked the end of the NBA on TNT. Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Stan Van Gundy, and Allie LaForce comprised the broadcast crew. And after the game, Harlan led an incredible tribute with all four offering their reflections as TNT ended its 36-year relationship with the NBA. The tribute featured a remarkable “who’s who” of broadcasters and basketball legends who all played a part in the NBA on TNT’s historic run.
Kevin Harlan, @ReggieMillerTNT, Stan Van Gundy and @ALaForce sign off from #NBAonTNT for the last time ❤️ pic.twitter.com/d68HtuyWYT
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 1, 2025
The NBA on TNT goes back to the days of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. When the NBA on TNT began, Michael Jordan had yet to win an NBA championship, and Charles Barkley was an All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers. Shaquille O’Neal was in high school! Every star of the NBA, spanning multiple generations, grew into stardom and became household names thanks to the NBA on TNT.
TNT embraced the NBA like no broadcaster had before on cable. Prior to 1989, the NBA had jumped from USA Network to ESPN to TBS and around the dial. But TNT became the go-to destination for basketball fans.
The network covered huge NBA events from All-Star Weekend and the Slam Dunk Contest to the NBA Draft. It featured marquee games on Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day from Opening Night and the playoffs, and anything and everything in between.
One of the challenges that the NBA faces is making its regular season games matter. But that’s where TNT shined because they made all of their broadcasts seem important. You always knew that NBA games on TNT were worth tuning into, whether it featured a great matchup, great stars, or, at the very least, great entertainment. Few other sports properties can say the same throughout the years.
Last week, we asked followers on X if they preferred game broadcasts on TNT or ESPN. And the overwhelming majority of 9,000 respondents said they strongly preferred the NBA on TNT over the NBA on ESPN. Over 90% of fans voted for TNT over ESPN for their NBA broadcasts.
As we rotate back and forth between ESPN and TNT for the NBA Conference Finals, what is your preference on the better broadcast between two networks when just focusing on game presentation (announcing, graphics, production, replays, etc) and not looking at studio coverage?
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 27, 2025
When looking at the overall presentation of the NBA on TNT, it’s almost impossible to find a flaw. The music always set the proper tone. The replays and graphics never missed and consistently seemed up to date. And the announcers and analysts deserve their own wing in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Just take a quick look at these individuals who called the NBA on TNT, who were at the very top of the profession:
Play-by-Play: Marv Albert, Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle, Dick Stockton, Brian Anderson, Gus Johnson, Jim Durham, Mike Breen
Analysts: Steve Kerr, Mike Fratello, Reggie Miller, Danny Ainge, John Thompson, Jeff Van Gundy, Stan Van Gundy, Hubie Brown, Doug Collins, Candace Parker, Jim Jackson, Grant Hill, Kevin McHale
Sideline Reporters: Craig Sager, Cheryl Miller, Allie LaForce, David Aldridge, Pam Oliver, Rachel Nichols
This is why it’s such a shame that we are losing the NBA on TNT and why it felt like David Zaslav and Warner Bros. Discovery undervalued it from the moment things started to go sideways publicly.
It’s more than just a studio show. It has been a way of life for NBA fans for almost as long as LeBron James has been alive. The NBA on TNT has been one of the finest television partners that a sports league has ever had, and it proved it continually throughout its 36 years on the air. We can now only hope that Amazon, NBC, and ESPN will be able to carry on its legacy over the next decade.