While it appears the NBA on TNT will soon no longer be a thing, the wildly popular studio show could live on.
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That would be none other than "Inside the NBA," featuring none other than Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson.
In case you weren't aware, Amazon, ESPN/ABC and newcomer NBC will be the new media rights holders of NBA games, leaving TNT in the dust. (Though TNT is matching Amazon's bid in a Hail Mary effort to try to keep the league. For now, though, its chances seem incredibly slim.)
This news left fans torn — as it pained them to think they would never again see the award-winning banter and game recaps involving Barkley, O'Neal and the rest.
However, according to Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal, Amazon is interested in hiring the "Inside" crew for its own studio shows.
For fans and others who care deeply about the NBA, such a move would undoubtedly lessen the blow of TNT no longer carrying games.
The league announced on Wednesday that it was rejecting TNT's bid and moving forward with Amazon.
"Warner Bros. Discovery's (or TNT's) most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video's offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon," the league said in a statement.
"Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.
"We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT."
All of that said, Barkley has said he would retire if TNT lost NBA media rights, and Johnson has said he is staying with Turner Sports, regardless of what happened next.
Now, perhaps, Amazon will give all of them something to think about.
"Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade."
(This article originally appeared on Hoops Wire and was republished with permission.)
