Over the last several days, the NBA All-Star Weekend unfolded in Oakland, California, where numerous prominent figures (including a cheerful Emma Watson) enjoyed the events. Notably, this year is special because it’s the last time the annual game will be aired on TNT and apparently the final time that the hosts of Inside the NBA will cover it. In recognition of their service, the hosts were honored on Sunday, but some fans took issue with one specific aspect.
During the All-Star game, there’s usually a symbolic transfer of responsibility from the current host city to the next one. This year, Oakland passed the baton to Inglewood, California, which was anticipated given the tournament format. However, what might not have been expected was an extended salute to the hosts of Inside. Host Kevin Hart orchestrated this tribute, where Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal were invited onto the court to receive framed jerseys and other tokens of appreciation. Take a look:
The fishing equipment signified the “Gone Fishin'” segment within Inside the NBA, where the four hosts bid farewell to teams as they exit the playoffs and enter the offseason. While the intention behind the act was endearing, there’s been criticism regarding its execution. A significant point of contention for viewers was that this nearly 7-minute segment, available on YouTube, occurred during a live game. Here are some comments from X users about this part of the broadcast:
To clarify, I appreciate that Kevin Hart and his team paid a heartfelt tribute to the long-running sports talk show which started in 1989. Yet, I sympathize with the fans’ concerns as the tribute seemed to slow down the broadcast’s pace because of its timing. As suggested earlier, it would have been more suitable to place the tribute at a different point in the show, perhaps before the game commenced.
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In 2024, for a significant part of the year, “Inside the NBA” was at risk of being canceled because Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT’s parent company, lost the broadcasting rights to the professional basketball league they had previously held. Additionally, there was an extra dose of sadness last summer when Charles Barkley expressed his plan to retire from broadcasting after this current season, irrespective of whether the show continued or not. However, he later retracted these plans as a way to preserve jobs.
The circumstances have dramatically shifted since then, but noteworthy is the groundbreaking deal between TNT and ESPN, enabling “Inside” to be distributed to ESPN’s network. Under this arrangement, the hosts will offer coverage for the NBA Finals, Christmas day games, opening week games, and other significant events. This contract also guarantees the series will remain on-air for the next eleven years. Consequently, some viewers on platform X felt a farewell event was superfluous.
As a film enthusiast, it’s exciting to know that Shaq (recently signed for a new deal) and Charles Barkley (intending to stay put) will continue to grace our screens with their presence, along with the rest of the team. Although the All-Star game tribute seemed somewhat untimely or superfluous, I can understand the producers’ desire to honor the host in such a way.
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2025-02-17 19:07