Ernie Johnson gave an emotional Sports Emmy speech amid Inside the NBA's uncertain future

With the future of TNT’s Inside the NBA up in the air as the league’s television rights are in flux, broadcasting legend Ernie Johnson seemed to understand the gravity of his Sports Emmy speech.

Johnson won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Studio Host on Tuesday night, and he delivered a very emotional speech that centered on the gratitude he has for his job and the people he gets to work with at TNT.

It’s very possible that Inside the NBA will end after the 2024-25 NBA season if the league rights go to other entities than Warner Bros. Discovery, which would be a massive blow to NBA fans across the globe who regard the program as one of the best in the medium.

An emotional Ernie Johnson accepts the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Studio Host.

(via @sportsemmys) pic.twitter.com/6uFhcgX3UA

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 22, 2024

Johnson seems to clearly understand the stark wisdom of appreciating what you have while you’ve got it, and it’d just be terrible to see him moved away from NBA coverage while he’s still with the broadcasting company.

We’ll see what happens with the NBA broadcasting rights and do what Johnson recommends: appreciate Inside the NBA while we’ve got it.