The NBA on TNT ended its run after 36 seasons on the air, passing on television duties to Amazon and NBC.
They knew drama.
The basketball world bid RIP to the NBA on TNT, as the cable network ended its 36-year run of Association broadcasting on Saturday night. The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks by a 125-108 decision in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the last airing, one narrated by Kevin Harlan, Allie LaForce, Reggie Miller, and Stan Van Gundy.
“Our hearts are full of gratitude. Not sadness, but gratitude and happiness for what has been,” said Harlan, who had appeared on TNT since 1996, as his segment of the broadcast closed. “It has been an honor, it has been a privilege, and I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as we have. Now he hand the baton to the legendary Mike Breen and our friends at ABC. We thank you for 36 incredible years of watching the NBA.”
TNT was the odd group out when the NBA signed its new media deal last July, with most of its carriage going to new partners Amazon and NBC (which returns to NBA broadcasting after two-decade-plus absence). A lawsuit was originally filed by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, which claimed that it had matched Amazon’s broadcasting offer. The case has since been settled, with WBD and TNT Sports maintaining NBA TV, the premium cable channel dedicated to 24/7 Association coverage.
TNT tipped off its NBA coverage in November 1989 alongside sister station TBS. On the floor, TNT was well-known for its extensive coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend and frequently broadcast other landmark dates on the Association calendar, including opening night, Christmas Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It also held rights to the NBA Draft from 1990 through 2002.
Premier NBA matchups frequently landed on TNT’s airwaves, particularly on Thursday nights. TNT also held rights to countless playoff games, including one half of the conference finals sets. Harlan and Marv Albert long held the title of lead play-by-play man while others to hold the mike included Breen, Brian Anderson, Ian Eagle, and Dick Stockton.
Ernie Johnson is the GOAT. ❤️
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 1, 2025
TNT also had a plethora of talent in the analyst and sideline reporting roles, notably introducing the “Players Only” broadcast in 2017. Such showings eschewed a traditional play-by-play man to have only former players on the call and has since been imitated in other mediums.
Beyond the floor, TNT also became well-known for its studio programming, as “Inside the NBA” ran for the entirety of the tenure. Frequently lauded as one of the best sports talk programs of all-time, “Inside the NBA” was hosted by Ernie Johnson Jr., who would moderate the antics and analysis of its lively panelists, namely Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith.
“If I had written the script, the NBA and TNT would be together forever. It’s not going to happen,” Johnson said in his final send-off. “But, while I was disappointed and I was sad, I was not bitter. We know how business works. Gratitude is the operative word for me.
“I’m grateful for that and also grateful that we have members of our crew who are going to go work at NBC or work at Amazon. You know why they got those jobs? Because their résumé says NBA on TNT. So, thank you. We have been honored to do this.”
“Inside the NBA” will air live on at ESPN through a special agreement with TNT Sports, as part of the aforementioned case settlement.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
