Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Ernie Johnson, Jr.

Over the past 30 years, one studio show has cemented its place as the greatest in its class: TNT’s Inside the NBA. Although he would be the last to admit it, much of the program’s success reflects its smart, steady, and gifted host, Ernie Johnson Jr.: one of sports broadcasting’s great audience surrogates.

In addition to hosting Inside the NBA for 34 years, the six-time Sports Emmy Award winner has hosted studio coverage for TNT Sports and CBS’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship since 2011 and has been an integral part of MLB on TBS game and studio coverage since 2007. Throughout his storied career at TNT Sports, Johnson — son of former longtime Atlanta Braves radio and television commentator Ernie Johnson Sr. — has been a mainstay of TNT sports coverage from professional golf — PGA Championship, British Open, PGA Grand Slam — to NFL, Wimbledon, and Olympics in the early ’90s.

In one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony, Johnson's longtime Inside the NBA cohorts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith surprised him on stage as he accepted his award.