Getty Image / Mitchell Layton
Inside the NBA on TNT may be the best part of the entire NBA ecosphere. Host Ernie Johnson and panelists Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith are always going viral with hilarious bits and comments.
The halftime show of Thursday Night’s Western Conference Finals Game 5 between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves was no different.
After a shocking first half that saw the Mavs, who were looking to close out the series up 3-1, take a 69-40 road lead against the Wolves. It was a whooping.
How big of a whooping? Here’s what Ernie Johnson, normally very reserved, had to say.
"They have opened up a serious can here at Target Center." – Ernie Johnson
"Can of what, Ernest?" – Kenny Smith
"Can of whoop ass. 69-40. Man alive." – EJ 🏀🎙️😂 pic.twitter.com/46nnNii9s6
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 31, 2024
Yeah, it was that bad. The Timberwolves, playing at home with their backs against the wall, were absolutely blitzed in the first half.
It has to be bad if the normally uptight Ernie Johnson is cussing on national television, even if it wasn’t an egregious swear word or anything.
The bad news is that we might not have Inside the NBA much longer. TNT looks likely to lose the rights to host NBA games after the 2024-2025 season. It seems like the rights holders will be ESPN, NBC, and likely a streaming service like Amazon Prime.
Hopefully one of those entities picks up the entire Inside the NBA crew and keeps them together.