What constitutes a great sports show? Is it the knowledge level and experience of the analysts? Is it the chemistry or the friction between the hosts or maybe the popularity and viewership? Having grown up watching John Dykes cover a variety of sports and then being introduced to some in the US, there are a number of sports shows and sports talk shows that I really admire. My day used to begin with the now defunct ESPN’s Mike and Mike followed by First Take (with Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless as hosts and then with Max Kellerman replacing Bayless). I also like ‘Skip and Shannon Undisputed’ on Fox. I am a fan of Papi in ‘Highly Questionable’ and admire ‘Pardon The Interruption’. Alas, I could never really figure out the random scoring system in ‘Around the Horn’. However for sheer drama, camaraderie, knowledge, fights, thrills and hilarious moments, nothing can match TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’.
Let me start with ‘Ernie, Ernie .. Lemme tell you something’. I started following ‘Inside the NBA’ with Ernie Johnson as host and Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith and ‘Sir’ Charles Barkley as analysts over a decade ago. ‘The Big Aristotle’, Shaquille O’ Neal was a welcome addition to the team once he retired. A winner of multiple Emmy awards, the show has become a fan favorite of many basketball fans. The show is sometimes controversial and not always politically correct but that is what endears the audience to the show. Whether it is ‘E.J.’s Neat-O Stat of the Night’ or ‘Kenny’s Pictures’, each segment is informative. Sometimes the hosts are too brutally honest to be on television as they don’t mince words when criticizing players. This makes for some awkward moments as well. The blooper segment ‘Shaqtin’ a Fool’ is meant to embarrass even the biggest superstars of the game.
The chemistry between the hosts takes the show to stratospheric levels. Shaq and Barkley get personal at times and Kenny and Ernie have to step in. Barkley needles Shaq about riding Kobe and Wade’s coat-tails to his championships and ‘Kazaam’ flaunts his rings. There have been many funny incidents during the show with Shaq and Barkley threatening to throw chicken wings at each other or trying to wrestle in the studio. I love Kenny’s in-depth analysis. The analysts’ knowledge of the game having featured in several all time great NBA Games is second to none. One gets to live the 80s, 90s and noughties through their stories. Barkley comes across as extremely honest in his assessment. He is loved by one and all for his candid statements. He is very self deprecating and a great sport. He has also been involved in some weird bets like his race with referee Dick Bavetta during the All Star Weekend.
With three legends of the game and an amazing host in Ernie, the show is one of the most popular on TV. The hosts are not just limited to discussing NBA. They talk about several other topics – NFL, NCAA football, March Madness and issues impacting America. Chris Webber and Grant Hill do an amazing job as supporting analysts. The hosts are not scared of criticizing the players and officials if they feel that something is amiss. I thought I would never admit this but during the playoffs when there is a lot of tension, ‘Inside the NBA’ seems to be a voice of reason. No NBA team wants to be part of the ‘Gone Fishin’ ‘ segment as each team wants to be the last one standing. As a tribute to one of the biggest X-factors that the NBA has seen, let me end the post with a shout-out in Sir Charles’ unique style – ‘GINOBILI’!