Video: 'Inside the NBA' Host Ernie Johnson Gives Inspiring Speech to Alabama Football
August 12, 2021
Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson Jr. delivered an inspirational speech to the Alabama football team Wednesday after being invited by Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.
Johnson, who had non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the mid-2000s, centered his talk on the goal of becoming a "better human" and used a story about his adopted son Michael, a Romanian orphan, to showcase the power of putting that goal into practice:
The 65-year-old Wisconsin native also highlighted the importance of taking advantage of "get to" opportunities, like hosting a long-running show like Inside the NBA or playing for the storied Alabama football program, as opposed to the "got to" moments in life.
Johnson is one of the most decorated sportscasters of his generation. He's won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host seven times, including an active streak of four straight wins.
The University of Georgia graduate, who was described in a 2016 Mashable article as a "favorite uncle to NBA fans," flawlessly handles the task of guiding the unfiltered conversation between Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith on TNT's flagship show during basketball season.
He also works on Turner Sports' coverage of MLB and the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Alabama kicks off the 2021 college football season, and its latest national title defense, Sept. 4 when it takes on Miami in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.