Steve Fiorello, Director of ‘Inside The NBA,’ Discusses the Show’s Evolution

The NBA All-Star Game has always been a significant event for Inside the NBA, and this year’s edition in the Bay Area will celebrate 40 years of TNT’s live All-Star Weekend coverage. Since 2003, the network has broadcast the All-Star Game itself, making it a cornerstone of its programming. Over the years, the event has produced some of Inside’s most unforgettable moments and has greatly contributed to the show’s evolution.

TNT Sports vice president and coordinating director Steve Fiorello, who has directed Inside the NBA since 2000, shared insights with Awful Announcing about the show’s connection with fans and how All-Star Weekend serves as a prime opportunity for creativity. “It’s always an opportunity for us to be creative and have some fun and try and create moments,” he mentioned. “That’s ultimately what we aim to do—engage with the guys and create moments. All-Star has always embodied that for me, whether it was when we built a studio set atop the Caesar’s Palace fountains in Las Vegas, or when EJ arrived on a chariot surrounded by Roman gladiators, or Magic Johnson making his entrance.” Each All-Star Weekend presents its own logistical challenges, but Fiorello believes overcoming these hurdles is always worthwhile, emphasizing that “every location is different, and we’re always trying to create moments, but we look forward to that because it takes the guys out of the studio and brings them closer to the fan base.”

Fan interaction will again be a focal point this weekend. TNT’s coverage kicks off with the Rising Stars event on Friday, continues with All-Star Saturday Night, and culminates in Sunday’s game. Fiorello is especially enthusiastic about this year’s format change, which includes Inside the NBA analysts serving as general managers, with NBA on TNT Tuesday analyst Candace Parker GMing the team that wins the Rising Stars game. “In the game itself, I’m really excited about the format and the NBA’s approach to making this an entertainment-focused event,” he stated, highlighting the integration of their roles as general managers alongside Candace.

Inside the NBA’s evolution

Fiorello joined Inside in 2000 after a stint at ESPN, coinciding with Charles Barkley becoming a full-time analyst alongside Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson. The transition to the show’s unscripted format took some time. “The formula back then was very scripted, whereas this show wasn’t. So, the first year required an adjustment period to understand the free-flowing nature that we tried to create with Charles, Kenny, and EJ,” he recalled. A significant shift occurred in 2006 with Shaquille O’Neal joining the team, which added another layer of success to the show. “I think the next evolution of the show was when Shaq came on. It required a transition to lean into Shaq’s sensibilities,” he noted, recalling a standout moment early in Shaq’s tenure when a Walking Dead makeup artist pranked Barkley by painting abs on Shaq to create a humorous visual for the audience.

“That was a tremendous moment; the video is fantastic. You can see Kenny start to pick up that Shaq has painted abs,” Fiorello reminisced.

Seven years ago, Inside took another leap by integrating real-time social media interactions into the show. “We started using a product called Spreadfast, enabling us to gather social media posts specific to our show and display these comments live in real-time,” Fiorello explained. “No one was really doing that at the time. What elevated it was that Chuck, Shaq, Kenny, and EJ are so smart and in tune with the fan base—they began to interact with the audience, calling out names from social media posts, which became a unique aspect of the show.” He believes this interactive engagement has strengthened Inside’s connection with its viewers. “Fans know that if they post something during the show, there’s a chance they might see their name mentioned and get a shoutout from Chuck, Shaq, and the guys,” Fiorello added.

A Show Bigger than the Game

One of the most remarkable aspects of Inside is how it often garners more attention than the actual games it covers, a phenomenon that Fiorello views positively. “That’s a blessing and a huge compliment. It’s not always like that in this business, and I’ve worked on many shows where this isn’t the case. It speaks to the dedication of everyone involved in the show and the collaborative spirit behind the ideas,” he reflected. He also noted that Inside is one of the few shows where social media feedback rarely trends negative. “In my 30 years in this business, social media has ramped up significantly over the past 15 years, and this is the only show where I rarely see anything negative about it. This is unique because social media often points out negatives, but Inside seems to escape much of that—except when Shaq’s calling me out for technical issues, which occasionally draws comments,” he concluded with a light-hearted tone.