Uninterested in the “not funny” SNL 50 special, Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo found himself watching the bizarre ceremony for Inside the NBA during the All-Star Game Sunday night. Despite Adam Silver recently urging players to take the All-Star Game seriously, the commissioner brought in Kevin Hart to host the event and shift focus away from the basketball. One highlight was a mid-game ceremony honoring Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, where it felt as if Hart was eulogizing Inside the NBA.
Last year, there were concerns about the future of Inside the NBA after Warner Bros. Discovery lost game rights for TNT Sports; however, a licensing deal with ESPN assures that the beloved studio show will continue next season and beyond, leaving many fans, including Russo, puzzled by Sunday night’s sendoff.
“That was really goofy. That we’re gonna sit here and put them in retirement outfits and say goodbye and then they’re gonna be with us next year. Be fair, that is a little odd.” – Chris Russo on All-Star Game ceremony for ‘Inside the NBA’ pic.twitter.com/6FN9tfJ60m
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 19, 2025
On Wednesday morning’s First Take, Russo criticized Hart’s presentation, saying, “We all know how important the show is, but he gave them fishing gear… and then we take a timeout basically, the four of them saying goodbye. Goodbye?! They’re licensed next year to us! You’re gonna see them next year, what do you mean goodbye? They’re not going anywhere! Look at Ernie getting sentimental with Kyrie, and then Ernie’s basically saying to the crowd, ‘We loved it; it’s a sad day.’ Sad day? You four are gonna be all over the place next year right here! The players didn’t like it. That was really goofy.”
This entire episode felt more than a little odd. Perhaps Hart knows something we don’t; nonetheless, despite Barkley’s claims of uncertainty about his future with ESPN, it appears that Inside the NBA will persist thanks to the licensing agreement. While the show might shift to a different network and night, both ESPN and TNT Sports have assured audiences that little will change regarding the cast or production. A more suitable time to celebrate the nearly four-decade relationship between the network and the NBA will come, but forcing an emotional, gear-filled goodbye into the third game of the newly created All-Star tournament was certainly not it.
