Former Turner executive David Levy cites Pat McAfee in reasoning 'Inside the NBA' won't change

With the Indiana Pacers taking down the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, the NBA on TNT era is over. That means a new future for its popular pre-and-post-game show, “Inside the NBA.”

The show, which features Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, will be making the move to ESPN/ABC as the NBA broadcasting rights get a major shakeup next season. While fans are fearful the show might not look and feel the same, former Turner president David Levy is not concerned. He believes ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro will allow the show to remain authentic, just as “The Pat McAfee Show” operates on the network.

“If I know Jimmy, which I do, and I see how he’s handling ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ — where he’s letting Pat do the show, produce the show and may not be as comfortable with some of the stuff that Pat says — I think Jimmy understands that’s what makes Pat Pat,” Levy told Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. “I think he is now understanding it doesn’t have to have that look and feel [of ESPN] and so forth. And it doesn’t have to all be produced by them.

“So I’ll say if he allows what happens with ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ to happen with ‘Inside the NBA,’ and it’s truly produced by the Turner people, if [VP of Production] Tim Kiely is still doing it, if Charles, Kenny, E.J. and Shaq are still on it and they’re talking about basketball, it’ll be OK if the logo below says ESPN. It’ll look weird on ESPN for a minute or two. Until the antics happen, and the talent does what the talent does.”

‘Inside the NBA’ headed to ESPN in new NBA media rights deal

McAfee began licensing his popular YouTube show to ESPN in September 2023. The former NFL punter has creative control over his show, Pitaro previously said.

It appears much of what makes Inside the NBA special will remain. According to SBJ, Kiely will continue to produce the show. It will still originate from Atlanta. And of course, the on-air talent is returning. As long as the entertaining foursome is on set together, Levy sees Inside the NBA continuing to be a hit.

“Listen, the talent will be the same,” Levy said. “Let’s be clear, that [show] is like magic in a bottle. It happens once every gazillion years. The only other foursome or threesome that I can remember that had that kind of fan following and intrigue, I would say, was ‘Monday Night Football’ with Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford and Dandy Don [Meredith].

“But, hey, it’s happened before. Pat Summerall and John Madden have switched broadcast teams [from CBS to FOX]. Though I will say, from a David Levy perspective, it’ll look awkward to me until it isn’t.”