He then introduced a 2019 video of Ernie speaking about Michael and sharing his story from the TNT set. Michael’s unwavering strength, his constant joy inspired everyone that had a chance to share time with him.” “Late last week Ernie Johnson’s son Michael, who battled Duchenne muscular dystrophy his entire life, passed away at 33 years old. “Here at Turner, it’s family first, and our family’s hearts are heavy,” Lefkoe said. Host Adam Lefkoe welcomed viewers to the broadcast with a statement from Turner Sports. On Tuesday, the beloved broadcaster's studio mates paid tribute, dedicating the entire pregame show for TNT's Tuesday doubleheader to the Johnson family. The sports world responded Saturday with an outpouring of kindness and condolences for Johnson and his family. Michael Johnson died after a lifelong battle with muscular dystrophy.
(Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Turner)Ī typically jovial "NBA on TNT" studio took on a somber tone on Tuesday in the wake of host Ernie Johnson's son's death on Friday at 33 years old. The Associated Press contributed to this report.Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith attend the Turner Upfront 2015 at Madison Square Garden. Inked Troy Aikman to a reported five-year, $90 million contract, and play-by-play man Joe Buck to a five-year deal valued at $75 million. In May, Tom Brady signed a $375 million contract with Fox Sports to provide on-air commentary on NFL games when he retires, and Walt Disney The news of Barkley’s lucrative extension comes as contracts for major sports broadcasters are ballooning. That starts next season - Apple has also been rumored to be interested in the NFL’s highly sought-after Sunday Ticket package. Major League Soccer signed a deal with Apple TV+ AAPL, Major League Baseball’s new contracts with Fox, ESPN and Turner began this year, while the NHL’s deals with Turner and ESPN are in their second season. Amazon is in its first season carrying the NFL, with the league’s other contract renewals kicking in next season. The other major sports leagues have recently negotiated new rights deals. Turner has been carrying games since 1984, while ESPN/ABC replaced NBC in 2002. The league is expected to begin rights negotiations soon. The deals with Barkley, Johnson, Smith and O’Neal last well beyond the end of Turner’s current deal to broadcast NBA games, which runs through 2024–25. Here’s everything you need to know about the controversial social media platform.īarkley is widely considered one of the most popular studio analysts of all time and has won four Sports Emmy Awards as outstanding studio analyst for his work on TNT. See also: Kanye West agrees to buy Parler. (Barkley was fitted with the nickname Round Mound of rebound during his college years at Auburn.) O’Neal joined them in 2011.ĭuring the opening-night broadcast, O’Neal could be heard congratulating Barkley on his new contract, yelling, “Chucky 200!”Īs part of the deal, Barkley will also produce documentaries and other projects with his production company, Round Mound Media, the New York Post indicated. Johnson has been with the show since the beginning, while Smith became a studio analyst in 1998. “Inside the NBA” began its 34th season on Tuesday as the 2022–23 NBA season tipped off. “I’m not gonna lie, though, this is a life-altering deal … and I’m blessed to be able to do live television for a living.” “We’re all a big family - Ernie, Kenny and Shaquille are brothers to me - and I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for them and all the amazing people who work on our show,” Barkley said in a statement.
He had publicly toyed over the summer with the idea of providing commentary for Saudi-funded LIV Golf but eventually decided against the controversy-courting move. Contract figures for those individuals are not currently known.īarkley, an 11-time NBA all-star tapped as one of the league’s 75 greatest players, has been with TNT since retiring as a player in 2000. See: Amazon is proving it’s a contender to land NBA rightsĪlso: Trump tells golfers to ‘take the money’ from LIV Golf or ‘pay a big price’īarkley’s reported agreement coincides with contract renewals for fellow “Inside the NBA” crew members Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal.
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