Inside the NBA officially ends on TNT with F-bombs aplenty in wild sendoff to ESPN

An era of “Inside the NBA” has officially come to a close.The popular basketball show ended its run on TNT after the Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Knicks and Pacers on Saturday.The show, which has aired on TNT since 1989, will be shown on ESPN next season, as Warner Bros.Discovery lost the rights to broadcast NBA games.Turner will still produce the show by licensing it to ESPN.Warning: Graphic languageBefore Thursday’s Game 5, Shaquille O’Neal went on a passionate rant about the show’s past on TNT and future on ESPN.

“There’s an old saying, when something passes away, something is reborn,” O’Neal said on the set before Game 5.“Yes, it is the end of “Inside the NBA” on TNT, but it’s a new beginning for us.

I’m glad we’re still together on whatever network we go to.“And whatever network we’re coming to, we’re bringing the pain.Just letting you know right now.

OK, I know everybody’s sad that, ‘Oh, it ain’t gonna be the show.’ The show is still here, baby.You can never kill the four horsemen.

We coming, and we coming to take spots.We coming to kick ass and we coming to take names.

And we doing it our way,” he continued as his colleagues Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley cheered him on.“You know, all the sadness about that show.We coming with a whole brand new show, and we don’t care who in our way.

We coming to kick ass and take names.The name changes but the boys are here.

We them boys.”Things got emotional for the crew during their closing remarks Saturday, with all four of the commentators thanking TNT and looking forward to working for ESPN, along with some members throwing around expletives during the live broadcast.“It’s been a great run, been an honor, Chuck love you like a brother I will still whoop your ass,” O’Neal said.“I’m glad were sticking together.

Even if the network changes, the name stays the same.” “To [ESPN] we are not f–king around,” O�...