Ernie Johnson, the longtime host of ESPN’s “Inside the NBA,” announced Wednesday that he would be stepping away from the sports show. But he stopped short of calling it “retirement.”
“Just to be clear, I’m not retiring, just cutting back,” Johnson said in his video posted to social media.
In his video, Johnson, 70, noted recent heart issues that he has faced and that he underwent bypass surgery in August 2025.
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In its current season, this is Johnson’s 37th year with the basketball commentary program. His first season on the show was in 1990.
So what’s on deck for the venerated broadcaster?
Johnson has launched his own production company, 32 Bow Ties, a reference to the neckwear that the host typically wears onscreen. The goal of the company is to tell feel-good sports stories. A YouTube channel for the project launched Oct. 12.
“We’re into storytelling, we’re into fun conversations and really celebrating the people and the moments that make sports so special to all of us,” Johnson said in the channel’s introductory video.
Johnson will also continue to host the NCAA March Madness tournament on TNT and CBS, and he plans to stay on “Inside the NBA” through the NBA Finals in 2027.
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