NBA on TNT — BrandWiki

NBA on TNT

alt name	TNT NBA Thursday (for Thursday night telecasts)
genre	American basketball game telecasts
presenter	Ernie Johnson Shaquille O'Neal Kenny Smith Charles Barkley Draymond Green Kevin Harlan Reggie Miller Allie LaForce Brian Anderson Stan Van Gundy Jared Greenberg Ian Eagle Grant Hill Spero Dedes Greg Anthony Stephanie Ready Adam Lefkoe Candace Parker Vince Carter
location	Various NBA arenas (game telecasts)
country	United States
camera	Multi-camera
runtime	210 minutes or until game ends (inc. adverts)
company	TNT Sports
network	TNT (1989–2025) TBS (2015–2025; simulcasts, alternate broadcasts and overflow) TruTV (2024–2025; simulcasts and alternate broadcasts) NBA TV (2008–2025; overflow) HBO Max (2023–2025)
first aired	November 4, 1989
last aired	May 31, 2025
related	Inside the NBA NBA on TBS

The NBA on TNT is an American presentation of National Basketball Association (NBA) games, produced by TNT Sports (formerly known as Turner Sports and later Warner Bros. Discovery Sports). In the United States, the TNT cable network held the rights to broadcast NBA games from 1989 to 2025, making it TNT's longest-running regular program and sporting event, dating back to only a year after TNT's launch on October 3, 1988. Its telecasts were also streamed on its HBO Max platform from 2023 to 2025. TNT's NBA coverage included[1] the Inside the NBA studio show, weekly doubleheaders throughout the regular season on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a majority of games during the first two rounds of the playoffs, and one conference finals series. It also simulcasted select games with TruTV.

In July 2024, the NBA signed new 11-year media deals with ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video. In response, TNT filed a lawsuit against the league, arguing that their yearly billion-dollar offer matched the deal made by Amazon. The case was settled in November 2024, allowing TNT's parent company to remain involved in the NBA by licensing Inside the NBA to ESPN. TNT also announced that it would continue to operate NBA TV and NBA.com but it later withdrew in June 2025.

Commentators

The final NBA on TNT commentating roster included Kevin Harlan, Brian Anderson, Ian Eagle, and Spero Dedes for play-by-play. Harlan and Anderson normally called Thursday games, while the latter also usually worked Tuesday games with Eagle. Dedes filled in occasionally for both Tuesday and Thursday games, but mainly called games for TNT during the NBA playoffs. Fox Sports' Gus Johnson joined the rotation for the NBA playoffs.

Reggie Miller and Stan Van Gundy were the top color commentators for most games. Other analysts like Jim Jackson, Grant Hill, Candace Parker, and Greg Anthony contributed for select games.

The sideline reporter role was rotated between Allie LaForce, Jared Greenberg, Lauren Jbara, Stephanie Ready and Taylor Rooks. Dennis Scott joined the rotation for the NBA playoffs.

Ernie Johnson controlled the main studio hosting duties on Thursdays, with Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe serving that role on Tuesdays. Occasionally, whenever Johnson was away for other assignments, most notably March Madness, or personal reasons, Lefkoe filled in for Johnson. Studio coverage was usually contributed by Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley on Thursdays, with O'Neal, Candace Parker, and Vince Carter contributing on Tuesdays. Parker and Carter, along with Hill among other analysts contributed to the studio show at times.

Prior to his death on December 15, 2016, Craig Sager[57] served a variety of roles on TNT, most prominently as a sideline reporter. Sager was usually paired with Cheryl Miller on most doubleheaders from 1997 to 2013.

Before he was hired as head coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2014, Steve Kerr was the primary game analyst on TNT. Kerr served that role from 2003 to 2006, and again from 2010 to 2014; in between he served as general manager of the Phoenix Suns.

Prior to leaving TNT before the 2021 NBA playoffs, Hall of Fame forward Chris Webber had been tapped as a co-lead analyst, and fill-in studio analyst from 2008 to 2021. Webber and TNT had parted ways without any contract renewal negotiations.

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade was part of the Tuesday studio team for three seasons beginning in 2019 but left to pursue other business ventures. Crawford replaced Wade during the 2022–23 season.

Doug Collins[58] was the secondary analyst on TNT; he was also the lead analyst in his first stint with the network from 1989 to 1995, pairing with the likes of Bob Neal, Ron Thulin and Pete Van Wieren. In his second stint from 2003 to 2010, he was usually paired with Harlan during the regular season but was also paired with Albert during the NBA All-Star Game and the conference finals.

The original voice of the NBA on TNT was Bob Neal, who worked with the network from 1989 to 1995; he was also the original voice of the NBA on TBS. Other announcers who worked for TNT include Rick Barry, Hubie Brown, Dick Stockton,[59] Verne Lundquist, Chuck Daly, Danny Ainge, Reggie Theus, Rex Chapman, John Thompson, Jeff Van Gundy, P. J. Carlesimo, Gary Bender, Matt Devlin, Joel Meyers and Kevin Calabro.

Several prominent NBA analysts chose TNT over ABC or ESPN, such as Doug Collins and Charles Barkley (Barkley was not only approached by ABC about an NBA studio job in 2002 but as also rumored to have been approached for a job on Monday Night Football). Reggie Miller was also sought out by ABC and ESPN, only to go to TNT.

The biggest acquisition TNT made, once sought out by ABC and ESPN, was Marv Albert. After the 2002 NBA Finals, Albert, along with Bob Costas, essentially a free agent, was a candidate for the lead spot on The NBA on ABC (which ultimately went to Brad Nessler). As Costas elected to remain with NBC, Albert, hired by TNT in 1999, decided to stay with the network.[60] Some attributed this to TNT having given Albert his first chance to be on national television after the sex scandal that led to his firing at NBC. Albert and Mike Fratello—both of whom worked as a team in the NBA on NBC's early years—would ultimately reunite on TNT. Pam Oliver, the then-lead sideline reporter for the NFL on Fox, joined Turner Sports in 2004 as she would only be on during the NBA playoffs, a role she fulfilled until 2009.

Aftermath

Ahead of and during the 2025 NBA playoffs, many of TNT's commentators and analysts were hired by other companies to work on their upcoming NBA coverage. Reggie Miller moved over to NBC Sports to serve as a top game analyst.[41] Vince Carter also joined NBC as a studio analyst.[42] Taylor Rooks, who worked as a sideline reporter during TNT's final season, was hired by Amazon Prime Video as a studio host.[43] Candace Parker and former TNT analyst Dwyane Wade also joined at Amazon as game analysts.[44] Secondary game analyst announcer Grant Hill joined NBC in a fill-in role while he is still working for college hoops on TNT.[45] Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan moved over to Sports on Amazon Prime Video to serve as their play-by-play announcers. Also moving over from TNT to Sports on Amazon Prime Video is game analyst Stan Van Gundy.[46]

TNT's final NBA game broadcast was Game 6 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, on May 31, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 125–108 to advance to the franchise's first NBA Finals since 2000.[47] After the Pacers trophy ceremony, TNT's top commentary team Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Stan Van Gundy, and Allie LaForce gathered together at press row to thank everyone who contributed to the NBA on TNT throughout its 36-year history, including production personnel, television executives, game announcers, and sideline reporters.[48] Harlan, who was given the final word of the four, mostly narrated through a slideshow showcasing all of TNT's past and present commentary teams, game analysts, and sideline reporters. The final image was a group picture of TNT's entire production crew that worked on the Eastern Conference Finals, at which point, Harlan concluded his message with: And our crew, our incredible crew that has been with us. Most of these people have been with Turner well over two decades. Our hearts are full of gratitude, not sadness, but gratitude and happiness for what has been. It has been an honor, it has been a privilege, and I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as we have. Now, we hand the baton to the legendary Mike Breen and our friends at ABC. We thank you for 36 incredible years of watching the NBA. Our producer tonight Tom Heitz, our director Jonathan Bywaters, statistician Brian Taylor, associate director Aaron Banks, production assistants Tyler Makins and Calvin Barnes. Inside the NBA continues here from Indiana with Ernie, Charles, Kenny, and Shaq. Congratulations, again, to the Indiana Pacers, and now for a final time. For Allie LaForce, Stan Van Gundy, and Reggie Miller, Kevin Harlan and our TNT crew saying goodnight courtside from Indianapolis.

As Inside the NBA began to finish its last edition on TNT, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson each took turns recounting their memories and thanking everyone who contributed to the show, while also alluding to the studio show's impending move to ESPN and ABC.[51][52] At the end, an emotional Johnson was given the final word, signing the broadcast off with the following message: I'll try to keep this brief. Several years ago, I wrote a book called Unscripted and I asked people to embrace the unscripted, not fear the unscripted. If I had written the script, the NBA and TNT would be together forever. It's not gonna happen. 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. Grateful that, you know, since 1989, I've been with this company. No matter what you call the company, it will always be Turner. And, I'm grateful that I worked with you guys. I'm grateful for all the relationships we've built professionally and personally through the years, you just don't realize that. Until you see people here on the road say, "Hey, this is probably gonna be it", and you think back to all the good times you had. So, I'm grateful for that and also grateful that we have members of our crew who are gonna go work at NBC or work at Amazon. And you know why they got those jobs? Because their résumé says NBA on TNT. So, thank you. We have been honored to do this. Look, the four of us, as you've already heard, the four of us are gonna be together. Our production crew is gonna be together. It's gonna be that same bunch. We're still gonna be shooting that show in Atlanta. It's just gonna air somewhere else. And so, the craziness you see, the nonsense and the foolishness, and the top-notch basketball analysis. All that stuff is gonna be on ESPN or ABC next year, not on TNT.

In 2026, TNT Sports announced an agreement with FIBA for the rights to senior level men's and women's tournaments including the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup and EuroBasket 2029, along with associated qualifying tournaments.[55]

As Inside the NBA began to finish its last edition on TNT, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson each took turns recounting their memories and thanking everyone who contributed to the show, while also alluding to the studio show's impending move to ESPN and ABC.[51][52] At the end, an emotional Johnson was given the final word, signing the broadcast off with the following message: I'll try to keep this brief. Several years ago, I wrote a book called Unscripted and I asked people to embrace the unscripted, not fear the unscripted. If I had written the script, the NBA and TNT would be together forever. It's not gonna happen. 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. Grateful that, you know, since 1989, I've been with this company. No matter what you call the company, it will always be Turner. And, I'm grateful that I worked with you guys. I'm grateful for all the relationships we've built professionally and personally through the years, you just don't realize that. Until you see people here on the road say, "Hey, this is probably gonna be it", and you think back to all the good times you had. So, I'm grateful for that and also grateful that we have members of our crew who are gonna go work at NBC or work at Amazon. And you know why they got those jobs? Because their résumé says NBA on TNT. So, thank you. We have been honored to do this. Look, the four of us, as you've already heard, the four of us are gonna be together. Our production crew is gonna be together. It's gonna be that same bunch. We're still gonna be shooting that show in Atlanta. It's just gonna air somewhere else. And so, the craziness you see, the nonsense and the foolishness, and the top-notch basketball analysis. All that stuff is gonna be on ESPN or ABC next year, not on TNT. For that, we're sad. But I'm proud to say for the last time, thanks for watching us. It's the NBA on TNT.[53][54]