Shaq Closes out Last-Ever ‘Inside the NBA’ on TNT with F-Bomb Warning to ESPN — Famed Show’s New Home

Johnson JR We ve ░░░░░░░░ to the end of ░░░░░░░░ end of the road ░░░░░░░░ with the NBA on ░░░░░░░░ And let s let ░░░░░░░░ just go down the ░░░░░░░░ here I know everybody ░░░░░░░░ got thoughts about the ░░░░░░░░ of this chapter Shaq ░░░░░░░░ ll start with you ░░░░░░░░ NEAL I m the ░░░░░░░░ here It s been ░░░░░░░░ great run It s ░░░░░░░░ an honor Chuck I ░░░░░░░░ you like an older ░░░░░░░░ that I never had ░░░░░░░░ if you say something ░░░░░░░░ will whoop your ass ░░░░░░░░ last time on this ░░░░░░░░ right now Ernie you ░░░░░░░░ to my house in ░░░░░░░░ 1991 It s a ░░░░░░░░ honor it s an ░░░░░░░░ for me to be ░░░░░░░░ here with you Kenny ░░░░░░░░ way you all embarrassed ░░░░░░░░ in 94 95 you ░░░░░░░░ Hakeem taught me what ░░░░░░░░ was to be a ░░░░░░░░ We re a family ░░░░░░░░ m glad we re ░░░░░░░░ together And like I ░░░░░░░░ even though the name ░░░░░░░░ the engine is still ░░░░░░░░ same And to the ░░░░░░░░ network we come into ░░░░░░░░ re not coming to ░░░░░░░░ around And since this ░░░░░░░░ the last show I ░░░░░░░░ gonna say it We ░░░░░░░░ not coming to f ░░░░░░░░ around Cheering and Applause ░░░░░░░░ re kicking ass we ░░░░░░░░ taking names and we ░░░░░░░░ taking over Okay I ░░░░░░░░ you guys and I ░░░░░░░░ you guys but hey ░░░░░░░░ right Let me see ░░░░░░░░ number one sign for ░░░░░░░░ number one show ever ░░░░░░░░ TV And we re ░░░░░░░░ over to take over ░░░░░░░░ next network too Johnson ░░░░░░░░ Kenny Tough act to ░░░░░░░░ but go ahead Smith ░░░░░░░░ act to follow but ░░░░░░░░ it s bittersweet obviously ░░░░░░░░ know not just because ░░░░░░░░ four are moving but ░░░░░░░░ s been a history ░░░░░░░░ has been set by ░░░░░░░░ of the people that ░░░░░░░░ laid the groundwork behind ░░░░░░░░ scenes before the scenes ░░░░░░░░ game crew the toss ░░░░░░░░ crew Kevin Harlan who ░░░░░░░░ the name The Jet ░░░░░░░░ one ever called me ░░░░░░░░ Jet Until I got ░░░░░░░░ to TNT you know ░░░░░░░░ Sager who I shared ░░░░░░░░ office with sat down ░░░░░░░░ me one day and ░░░░░░░░ You know this could ░░░░░░░░ a career for you ░░░░░░░░ you take this seriously ░░░░░░░░ person ever told me ░░░░░░░░ was good at it ░░░░░░░░ miss him his family ░░░░░░░░ you know like I ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ each other but the ░░░░░░░░ that you re going ░░░░░░░░ miss that you forget ░░░░░░░░ they re there every ░░░░░░░░ of your life this ░░░░░░░░ just been a magnificent ░░░░░░░░ And as Shaq said ░░░░░░░░ ain t coming to ░░░░░░░░ k around Cheering and ░░░░░░░░ BARKLEY You know listen ░░░░░░░░ I got lucky I ░░░░░░░░ one of the best ░░░░░░░░ ever I was obviously ░░░░░░░░ go to NBC and ░░░░░░░░ friend of mine Michael ░░░░░░░░ says come to have ░░░░░░░░ at Turner it will ░░░░░░░░ me look good And ░░░░░░░░ guys took me out ░░░░░░░░ dinner and after five ░░░░░░░░ I had to call ░░░░░░░░ great Dick Ebersol and ░░░░░░░░ Hey man I m ░░░░░░░░ change my mind And ░░░░░░░░ wanna thank Dick Ebersol ░░░░░░░░ making me think about ░░░░░░░░ television but I want ░░░░░░░░ thank Mark Lazarus who ░░░░░░░░ me David Levy my ░░░░░░░░ boss and Tara August ░░░░░░░░ best friend she s ░░░░░░░░ for me the whole ░░░░░░░░ I just want to ░░░░░░░░ every single person who ░░░░░░░░ been at Turner with ░░░░░░░░ the last 25 years ░░░░░░░░ years Applause Some of ░░░░░░░░ people some of these ░░░░░░░░ have had kids they ░░░░░░░░ see us for their ░░░░░░░░ they come back when ░░░░░░░░ graduate college and now ░░░░░░░░ re bringing newborns in ░░░░░░░░ if you re with ░░░░░░░░ that long they are ░░░░░░░░ family And I just ░░░░░░░░ to thank everybody at ░░░░░░░░ for the last 25 ░░░░░░░░ It s been an ░░░░░░░░ and I m grateful ░░░░░░░░ thankful And also to ░░░░░░░░ it s gonna be ░░░░░░░░ an honor and a ░░░░░░░░ to work for you ░░░░░░░░ You guys are the ░░░░░░░░ one sports network in ░░░░░░░░ and I I m ░░░░░░░░ for you guys You ░░░░░░░░ some tremendous talents over ░░░░░░░░ I m looking forward ░░░░░░░░ co working with those ░░░░░░░░ but like I said ░░░░░░░░ I just want to ░░░░░░░░ thank you to the ░░░░░░░░ every coach I ve ░░░░░░░░ every player I played ░░░░░░░░ for giving me this ░░░░░░░░ life that I ve ░░░░░░░░ I am so lucky ░░░░░░░░ blessed I m lucky ░░░░░░░░ blessed Applause And I ░░░░░░░░ to thank TNT And ░░░░░░░░ though we ll never ░░░░░░░░ TNT Sports again I ░░░░░░░░ to thank TNT for ░░░░░░░░ me a magnificent life ░░░░░░░░ chants TNT TNT TNT ░░░░░░░░ JR I ll try ░░░░░░░░ keep this brief BARKLEY ░░░░░░░░ your time Johnson JR ░░░░░░░░ years ago I wrote ░░░░░░░░ book called Unscripted and ░░░░░░░░ asked people to embrace ░░░░░░░░ unscripted not fear the ░░░░░░░░ If I had written ░░░░░░░░ script the NBA and ░░░░░░░░ would be together forever ░░░░░░░░ s not going to ░░░░░░░░ But while I was ░░░░░░░░ and I was sad ░░░░░░░░ was I was not ░░░░░░░░ We know how business ░░░░░░░░ Gratitude is the operative ░░░░░░░░ for me Grateful that ░░░░░░░░ know since 1989 I ░░░░░░░░ been with this company ░░░░░░░░ matter what you call ░░░░░░░░ company it ll always ░░░░░░░░ Turner And I m ░░░░░░░░ that I work with ░░░░░░░░ guys I m grateful ░░░░░░░░ all of the relationships ░░░░░░░░ ve built professionally and ░░░░░░░░ through the years You ░░░░░░░░ don t realize that ░░░░░░░░ you see people here ░░░░░░░░ the road and say ░░░░░░░░ this is probably going ░░░░░░░░ be it and you ░░░░░░░░ back to all the ░░░░░░░░ times you had So ░░░░░░░░ m grateful for that ░░░░░░░░ also grateful that we ░░░░░░░░ members of our crew ░░░░░░░░ are going to go ░░░░░░░░ at NBC or work ░░░░░░░░ Amazon and you know ░░░░░░░░ they got those jobs ░░░░░░░░ their resume says NBA ░░░░░░░░ TNT So thank you ░░░░░░░░ have been honored to ░░░░░░░░ this Cheering and Applause ░░░░░░░░ we look we look ░░░░░░░░ look the four of ░░░░░░░░ as you ve already ░░░░░░░░ the four of us ░░░░░░░░ going to be together ░░░░░░░░ production crew was going ░░░░░░░░ be together It s ░░░░░░░░ to be that same ░░░░░░░░ we re still going ░░░░░░░░ be shooting that show ░░░░░░░░ Atlanta it s just ░░░░░░░░ to air somewhere else ░░░░░░░░ so the craziness that ░░░░░░░░ ve seen the nonsense ░░░░░░░░ the foolishness and the ░░░░░░░░ notch basketball analysis all ░░░░░░░░ that stuff s going ░░░░░░░░ be on it s ░░░░░░░░ to be on ESPN ░░░░░░░░ ABC next year not ░░░░░░░░ TNT for that it ░░░░░░░░ we re sad But ░░░░░░░░ m proud to say ░░░░░░░░ the last time thanks ░░░░░░░░ watching us It s ░░░░░░░░ NBA on TNT Cheering ░░░░░░░░ Applause O NEAL Before ░░░░░░░░ go guys let s ░░░░░░░░ the mic drop.”