'Inside the NBA' Stars, Turner Sports, Agree to Multiyear Contract Extensions

Turner Network Television's Sports Emmy Award-winning program Inside the NBA will continue to feature analysts Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith for the foreseeable future.  

In a press release, Turner Sports announced Wednesday that all three former NBA players have signed new contracts to keep them on the show:

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TNT’s iconic and critically-acclaimed Inside the NBA studio show – the recipient of 13 Sports Emmy Awards – will continue to offer fans its dynamic combination of basketball insight and analysis, entertainment and social commentary with its unduplicated studio team of host Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal.  Turner Sports today announced multi-year extensions for each member of the studio team.

“We truly believe Inside the NBA is among the best studio shows of all time and a large part of its success is due to the unrivaled chemistry between Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaquille,” said Lenny Daniels, president of Turner Sports. “We’re looking forward to continuing the creativity and pioneering spirit behind the show for a very long time.”

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Inside the NBA is the most-watched NBA studio show on cable television, based on Nielsen Research, and frequently generates the second most-watched program on cable throughout the NBA Playoffs (trailing only live game coverage).  Additionally, Inside the NBA consistently delivers the lowest median age of any late night program during the NBA Playoffs.  

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Bleacher Report is a division of Turner Sports.

Turner Sports PR posted a picture of the group on its Instagram account:

Sports Emmy winner Ernie Johnson hosts Inside the NBA, facilitating the discussion between the three prominent personalities. The program features incisive, frank analysis along with plenty of humor and fun, providing viewers with excellent entertainment before, during and after an NBA game.

Among other shticks, O'Neal has become known for his weekly "Shaqtin' a Fool" segment, which highlights some of the bloopers that happen around the Association. The three-time NBA Finals MVP is the most recent addition to the team, joining in July 2011.

Smith has been with Turner Sports since 1998, bringing a professional voice with plenty of credibility that highlights his extensive knowledge of the game. His presence has been pivotal to the show carrying on for as long as it has.

The same is true for Barkley, who signed on as a TNT studio analyst soon after his playing career ended in 2000. Barkley's outspoken nature and brutal honesty have translated well away from the court, leading to a magnificent tenure as a media member to date.

Inside the NBA has a great array of talent at its disposal to foster a successful, immensely popular show. Sticking with the same lineup moving forward promises to please fans and allows O'Neal, Smith and Barkley to keep generating unique ways of presenting their wealth of basketball wisdom.