Bill Simmons has shared concern that ESPN could ruin Inside the NBA.
The popular program, which has been a fixture of the league for nearly four decades, aired for the final time on TNT on Saturday night.
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It will move to ESPN and ABC next season, as NBA games will not be airing on TNT, when a new television deal kicks in.
Inside the NBA is set to keep Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley together, and they will still doing most shows from Atlanta.
But Simmons is worried that ESPN will soon try to change the dynamic of the show, warning that fans will be upset if it is even slightly off.
“If they mess with any piece of this, people are going to be mad,” Simmons said on his latest podcast.
“And that’s the part that I can’t wait to watch. Even little insignificant bits — if we feel like it’s different in any way, people are going to be mad.”
“I think ESPN is gonna f*** the show up. I think they’re gonna f*** the show up.
“Unless they completely change how they do commercials, the show is gonna to be different and people are going to be p*****. And Barkley and those guys are going to be p*****, and I think it’s gonna go badly.”
Van Lathan Jr, who also joined the podcast, agreed with that suggestion and warned that social media will soon turn on Inside the NBA if anything is changed.
Simmons then continued: “The way they can capture the moment sometimes was so important, and that’s something ESPN can’t risk with that show.
“You have to have these guys, after games, weighing-in big picture on stuff that only really Barkley and Kenny (know). That’s where the show really matters, and they can’t f*** with it.”
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Ryen Russillo, who was also part of the discussion with Simmons and Van Lathan, then floated an interesting suggestion.
“What if they replace Kenny with Mina Kimes?” he asked, shocking the other two hosts.
“Just thinking of crossover appeal. Like, there’s no way Stephen A. is not sitting at the desk with those guys at some point.”
While Russillo’s idea of replacing ‘The Jet’ was almost certainly made in jest, his comments were soon re-shared across social media, drawing fury from some fans.
“This would ruin the show,” one person said.
“Y’all laugh, but ESPN is totally capable something like that,” another suggested.
“Kenny Smith is so essential to that cast, it’s crazy if you don’t recognize that,” a third said, praising the two-time NBA Champion, who has an estimated net worth of $22million.
“ESPN always be doing dumb s*** like this, so I laughed at first then thought, ‘Oh s***,'” a fourth wrote.
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A fifth person simply concluded: “You’ve got to be f***ing kidding me.”
Inside the NBA will be moving to ESPN as part of a new $77billion 11-year TV deal, which will keep games on that network and ABC, and also bring The Association back to NBC.
The deal also starts a new relationship with Amazon Prime Video.
To conclude this season, ABC will broadcast the NBA Finals, meaning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks was the end of TNT’s run.
Turner Sports first acquired an NBA package in 1984, and games were on TNT since the network launched in 1988.
Inside the NBA’s cast bid an emotional farewell to TNT after the Pacers booked their place in the Finals with a 4-2 series win on Saturday night.
“Even though the name changes, the engine is still the same,” Shaq said during the final broadcast.
“And to that new network we’re coming to, we’re not coming to F around. We’re taking over, OK? I love you guys and I appreciate you guys.”
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Barkley, who has already dared ESPN to fire him before the show lands on the network, added: “I just want to say thank you to the NBA.
“Every coach I’ve had, every player I’ve played with, for giving me this magnificent life that I’ve had.
“I am so lucky and blessed. And I want to thank TNT. Even though we’ll never say TNT Sports again, I want to thank TNT for giving me a magnificent life.”
