A new chapter in Inside the NBA’s illustrious history is set to begin, as the former TNT show is set to hit ESPN for its latest season this fall. This is all thanks to a historic licensing agreement struck between the two aforementioned networks in 2024. Reactions to the show’s move have varied, with some expressing optimism and others conveying dread. One of the more recent media personalities to weigh in is popular pundit Stephen A. Smith, as he discussed how Inside’s big transition will impact the work he’ll do going forward.
Stephen A. Smith Shares His Feelings On Inside The NBA Joining ESPN
To say that Stephen A. Smith has carved out a space for himself at Disney’s flagship sports network would be an understatement. Smith’s main gig is the talk show First Take, on which he serves as a co-host. However, he also serves as an analyst on a number of other programs on the channel, including NBA Countdown. It’s because of his numerous professional obligations that Smith is pleased with Inside joining the fold. Based on the comments Smith shared with Boardroom, a situation like this has been a long time coming:
Inside The NBA is coming here and nobody can be happier for that than me. Not just because those guys are great, but it gives me what I believe to be well-earned relief. It’s been a long time. I’ve been covering the NBA for 30 years, so I’m going to get somewhat of a reprieve to some degree in that regard in terms of an inordinate amount of assignments that I’ve had in the past. So, I’m happy about that.
So it would seem that Stephen A. Smith is happy to have the likes of Charles Barkley and Shaq at ESPN, and it’s understandable as to why that would be the case. With a workload like his, it’s easy to imagine him needing a breather from covering NBA content, and Inside could possibly provide that. However, the early part of Inside’s schedule may contradict those plans, and that connects to one of the reasons why some people aren’t as enthusiastic about the move as Smith is.
Why Are Some People Not Feeling Excited About Inside The NBA Switching Networks?
It was confirmed earlier this month that Inside’s new season will debut following ESPN’s first NBA doubleheader of the season on October 22. Unfortunately, the show will only air in a half-hour timeslot as opposed to the 50-minute to an hour slot it has historically held down. On top of that, after that initial broadcast, no further Inside episodes are set to air until Christmas Day. As of this writing, no further clarification on the show’s later tapings has been provided.
The shortened timeslot actually lines up with a concern held by journalist Bill Simmons. He was concerned that ESPN would ruin Inside the NBA due to the network’s abundance of commercials. In short, Simmons opined that the vast amount of ads would mess up the flow of the show, which is greatly bolstered by the lengthy chats had by its four co-hosts.
Charles Barkley also revealed that he and fellow panelist Ernie Johnson expressed concern about how long their show would be on the air at a given time. After all, it’s during the late hours that the show really gets going, and Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal’s antics take off in full force.
Still, ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro emphasized that Inside the NBA’s hosts are sticking together, indicating that there’s still creative continuity. Fans will just have to wait and see exactly how everything shakes out. As time goes on, it’ll also be intriguing to see whether the outspoken Stephen A. Smith maintains his upbeat attitude about Inside entering the picture.
