When the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, they didn’t just end a playoff series. They also ended TNT’s 36-year run as an NBA broadcasting partner.
It was a somber affair afterward, with everyone from announcer Kevin Harlan to Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson offering heartfelt thoughts and sharing memories of that decades-long run. It was a great reminde that TNT’s NBA coverage went far beyond it’s signature show, though that will be the one thing that lives on, albeit on a different network.
The story of how TNT’s time as an NBA broadcaster came to an end is a wild one, full of incendiary comments, legal threats, and public takedowns. However, what’s done is done and if you want to watch a national NBA game next season, you’ll have to do it on ESPN, NBC, or Prime Video.
That could have been that but before the 2024-2025 NBA season concludes, TNT Sports Chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser released a statement Monday night, noting the end of the broadcasting relationship and wishing the NBA and it’s fans the best.
— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsUS) June 2, 2025
“It has been a privilege to be associated with the NBA over [40 years], building what undoubtedly will be considered one of the greatest partnerships in the history of sports media,” wrote Silberwasser in a press release. “We wish the league much success in the years to come and we look forward to continuing to produce Inside the NBA.”
It’s a bittersweet end to a longstanding relationship between league and broadcaster. While there are older generations excited to see NBC return as an NBA media partner, there are whole generations of younger fans who will now be nostalgic for the TNT/NBA days. Just like NBC, perhaps we’ll see them come back around one day.
