‘Our leader’ – Charles Barkley tears up while giving emotional Ernie Johnson tribute

Inside the NBA is set to lose a legend after Ernie Johnson announced his retirement at the end of the season. Charles Barkley got very emotional when addressing it on set.

Ernie Johnson is arguably the most legendary broadcaster in the world of basketball. The iconic host of Inside the NBA began the show in 1990, and has helped it grow into one of the most popular and beloved programmes in sports television history.

NBA legend Charles Barkley has been working with Johnson for 26 years, since he joined TNT as a studio analyst in 2000. The duo, along with Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, have been instrumental to the show’s success. So naturally, when Ernie announced his retirement the other day, Barkley’s tribute to him was as heartfelt as it was emotional.

What made Inside the NBA so unique and special is the way O’Neal, Barkley, and Smith’s personalities all play off one another. Johnson has manfully handled the task of ensuring that they stay on track, while never letting their candid hilarity get lost in the process.

He has been a mentor to all three, and his bond with Barkley goes well beyond the show. The duo has worked together on many other projects, and they are close friends on top of that. Barkley’s tribute to Johnson encompassed all of that and more.

Charles Barkley gets emotional addressing Ernie Johnson:

“It’s been an honor and privilege to work with you all this time.”

Johnson announced today that he will be leaving Inside the NBA after this season.

“That was tough,” Barkley said about the retirement announcement while tearing up. “We knew the day was coming, but still tough. Been here for 26, 27 years and it’s been an honour and a privilege to work with you all this time. And Kenny and Shaq and all the amazing people behind the scenes.

“It’s been an amazing journey. You’ve been our leader. Unquestionable leader. The question I’m asked the most… ‘Is Ernie Johnson as good a person as he seems?’ And I say, ‘Man, he’s better than that.’ I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being our leader for all these years. Even though I knew it was coming, it’s still hard, brother… All I can say Ernie, is thank you.”

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While Barkley is possibly the closest person to Johnson professionally, his feelings are shared by a lot of the basketball world. Very few figures are as universally beloved in a space as Ernie is in basketball, so his departure from the screen will be a sad moment for the entire community.

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