Ernie Johnson to leave 'Inside the NBA' after 2026-27 season, citing heart surgery and family

Ernie Johnson is walking away from the host's chair. The 70-year-old announced today, Oct. 28, in a nearly three-minute video on X that the 2026-27 NBA season will be his last on "Inside the NBA."

"This will be my last season," Johnson said. "Totally my decision. It's just time."

Heart surgery and family

Johnson said he had bypass surgery 14 months ago and that the experience changed how he thinks about his time. He said his doctor did not tell him to stop working.

"This isn't a case where my doctor said, 'You need to stop working.' It's nothing like that," Johnson said. He wants more time with his wife of 44 years, Cheryl, and their five grandchildren.

He also gave a professional reason. Johnson said he has always prided himself on preparation, and that he vowed to step away if that work ever became more of a challenge than a joy. After 37 seasons, he said, that point has come.

His health history is long. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2003 and missed hosting duties during the 2018 MLB playoffs because of blood clots in his legs.

Not a full retirement

Johnson was explicit that he is not done with broadcasting. "Just to be clear, I'm not retiring," he said. "Just cutting back."

He plans to keep working March Madness coverage and other projects for TNT and CBS. He has also started a production company, 32 Bowties, aimed at telling feel-good sports stories.

Johnson joined Turner Sports in 1989 and began hosting the studio show in 1990. Kenny Smith joined the panel in 1998, Charles Barkley in 2000 and Shaquille O'Neal in 2011. The show moved from TNT to ESPN and ABC in 2025. Johnson entered the broadcasting hall of fame in 2023.

The Barkley question

The bigger open question is the rest of the panel. Barkley had said before that the 2024-25 season would be his last, then stayed on as the show moved to ESPN. On The Bill Simmons Podcast last month, he said Johnson was the reason.

"Me and Ernie are a package deal," Barkley said. "Ernie said to me, 'Chuck, would you please stay for two more years?' I said, 'I love you, man. You're the best. I'll stay for two more years.' So right now, unless Ernie changes his mind, next year is my last year, 100 percent. … If he says he's done, I'm gone."

Barkley also said he stayed so people behind the scenes could keep their jobs. In a podcast appearance that went up shortly before Johnson's announcement, he called Johnson "the godfather" and said, "We're all waiting on Ernie to make a decision." Barkley got emotional on the show Wednesday night, thanking Johnson as the group's leader and saying the day was tough even though they had known it was coming.

Barkley has hinted at leaving before. Draymond Green, a frequent guest on the show, said on his podcast that Barkley "may be serious this time." "When you tie it to Ernie like that, it makes all the more sense," Green said.

Reaction

Green praised Johnson's skill at running a loose, chaotic set. "He is the best point guard I've ever played with, and that's no disrespect to the great Steph Curry," Green said. "He sees everything."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement. "Few people have shaped the way fans experience the NBA as profoundly as Ernie Johnson," Silver said. "His brilliance as a broadcaster is matched by his character, compassion and generosity." He added that the league looks forward to celebrating Johnson during his final season.

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro called Johnson "one of sports media's most respected and beloved figures" and "the heart of Inside the NBA." Pitaro said ESPN looks forward to celebrating him throughout the season.

What comes next

The 2026-27 season gives ESPN a full year of farewell programming built around Johnson. Neither Smith nor O'Neal has said whether he plans to stay on.

Barkley's position is stated. Unless Johnson changes his mind, Barkley is gone too, and that would leave the show without its host and its most outspoken voice after this season.