Ernie Johnson will retire as host of “Inside the NBA” in June, capping a 37-year run with the popular studio show.
Johnson announced his decision on Wednesday, saying, “It's just time,” and that the decision was his alone.
“As the years have gone by and I turned 70 this past summer, folks have asked me, ‘So, how long are you going to keep doing ‘Inside?' This will be my last season,” he said in a video posted on social media.
Johnson also led off Wednesday's edition of “NBA Tip Off” on ESPN by informing viewers of his decision.
Johnson began on “Inside the NBA” in 1990 when it was on TNT and TBS; the show moved to ESPN last year. The quartet of Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal has made the program — which has won 21 Sports Emmy Awards — a model for other studio shows.
“Ernie Johnson has been and always will be the heart and soul of TNT Sports. He’s a legend in every sense — as a broadcaster and iconic host of ‘Inside the NBA’ to being a world-class person who is beloved by all. With his decision to step back from ‘Inside the NBA,’ we look forward to partnering with him on his next chapter at TNT Sports,” TNT Sports said in a statement.
Smith joined the show full-time in 1998. Barkley came aboard in 2000, followed by O’Neal in 2011.
“It’s been an honor to share so many nights, decades actually, at the desk with my brothers, Kenny, Charles and Shaq and with our production crews who are so talented and devoted,” Johnson said. “So why now? Total honesty here. I’ve always prided myself on my preparation, the hours I put in every day getting ready for the next show. I’ve always loved that part of my job, but I’ve always vowed that if that ever became more of a challenge than it is a joy, then I’ll know it’s time to step away. I know after 37 seasons, it’s time.”
Barkley had tears streaming down his face and had trouble speaking during the opening portion of Wednesday’s show.
“That was tough. We knew the day was coming. It’s still tough. I’ve been here for 26, 27 years, and it’s been an honor and a privilege to work with you all this time. Kenny and Shaq, and the amazing people behind the scenes. Nothing like it,” Barkley said. “I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being our leader for all these years. Man, it’s still, even though I knew it was coming, it’s still hard, brother.”
Johnson said he has been dealing with heart issues over the past two years and had bypass surgery last August. He said he is slowing down to enjoy more time with his family.
Although “Inside the NBA” moved to ESPN, it is still produced by TNT. Johnson said during an interview with The Associated Press during the NBA Finals that the show was the same despite the change in networks.
“There was never a ‘Hey, you guys can’t do that anymore.’ It was just ‘No, do your thing.’ And we’ve had the freedom to do that,” Johnson said. “The great thing is we have access to all these ESPN resources with pregame pieces and reporters. It’s been a great deal for everybody involved.”
Johnson will continue to be a host for NCAA Tournament coverage on TNT and CBS. He has started a new production company called 32 Bow Ties, in reference to his preferred neckwear.
“So this is by no means the end. It’s just a turning of the page and I’ll forever cherish every chapter we have written with ‘Inside the NBA,’” he said.
Johnson's swan song with the show will occur during the NBA Finals. With “Inside the NBA” on ESPN and ABC, the show was part of the league's championship series for the first time, and Johnson presented the Larry O'Brien championship trophy after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs last season.
“Ernie Johnson is one of sports media’s most respected and beloved figures. For more than three decades, he has been the heart of ‘Inside the NBA,’ helping create one of the most iconic and entertaining studio shows in sports. We are grateful for Ernie’s extraordinary contributions and look forward to celebrating him throughout the season,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.
See AP’s full NBA coverage here
FILE - Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson Jr., left, and analysts Kenny Smith, center, and Charles Barkley sit on set at the TNT studios in Atlanta, Feb. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser, File)
FILE - New York Knicks owner James L. Dolan celebrates with his players during an interview with Ernie Johnson Jr., after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio (AP Photo/Darren Abate, File)
FILE - "Inside the NBA" hosts, from left, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Ernie Johnson Jr., Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley prepare for their live broadcast during TNT's NBA doubleheader coverage on Feb. 10, 2004, in the Compton section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ric Francis, File)
Dolores Huerta, the legendary labor organizer whose advocacy improved conditions for migrant farm workers in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and persuaded presidents to do more for women’s equality and immigrant rights, died Wednesday. She was 96.
Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union with César Chavez, was celebrated for her enduring rallying cry “Sí, se puede!” — which translates to “Yes, it can be done!”
She died of cancer at her home in Bakersfield, California, surrounded by family, said Erik Olvera, a family spokesperson.
Well into her 90s, Huerta was marching in protests and encouraging activists to keep speaking out about race, poverty and LGBTQ+ and women’s rights.
“It seems like history continues to repeat itself,” she told The Associated Press in August. “You see what’s happening right now in our country, and we know that people have to stand up.”
Huerta’s resolve cemented her place in history as one of the nation’s most influential labor leaders, civil rights icons and feminist activists. Her three-word Spanish-language slogan was grounded in the belief that people who take action can affect change.
Her accolades over the decades included the Presidential Medal of Freedom. When President Barack Obama presented her with the nation’s highest civilian honor in 2012, he praised Huerta as a tenacious leader. He said she was gracious when he stole her slogan for his 2008 campaign. “I’m pleased that she let me off easy ... ’cause Dolores does not play,” Obama joked.
Just days after President Donald Trump’s first inauguration, Huerta voiced concern about the rise of so-called “alt-right” groups.
“We cannot survive as a nation, as a democracy, if we continue with the racism, with the sexism and homophobia, with the militarization that we have in our society,” she told the AP in 2017.
This year, Huerta revealed a shocking chapter in her life story — that she was sexually abused in the 1960s by Chavez, the farmworker movement’s co-founder, leading to the birth of two children who were raised by others. She had kept the secret for 60 years, long after he died. Chavez's reputation immediately soured, his name removed from the holiday that had been a point of Hispanic pride.
Huerta said she had feared breaking her silence would compromise her life’s work and unravel the progress made for workers. From the early 1970s on, Huerta’s life partner had been Richard Chavez, César’s brother, and together they had four kids. She also had seven children from two earlier marriages.
“It was my personal pain, it was my personal problem and, you know, I think it was worth it because it was my cross to bear,” she told the news organization Latino USA.
Huerta's advocacy changed lives far beyond the farm fields, said former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who called Huerta “a stalwart champion of working Americans.”
“Dolores wore many hats: voting rights advocate, human rights champion, die-hard Democrat, self-described ‘born-again feminist,’ and co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America,” the Clintons said in a statement. “To see her in action was to witness a living legend who never stopped pushing for progress.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said California would not be where it is without her “passion for justice and fairness.”
“Dolores’ fight for gender equity, workers’ rights, and civil rights paved the way for generations to come — teaching people what was possible with determination and heart,” the Democrat said.
United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero said Huerta “has left farm workers and the entire Latino community stronger and more organized than she found it.”
Huerta was born Dolores Clara Fernandez in 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico. Her father was a miner and union activist who won a seat in the state Legislature. Her mother took her and her brothers to California after the couple divorced.
Immersed in a melting pot of Mexican, Filipino, African American, Japanese and Chinese working families, Huerta learned from her mother about independence, compassion and activism.
Huerta was teaching in an elementary school in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley when she grew frustrated by her students' poverty and decided to answer another calling.
“I couldn’t stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes,” she said in a 2017 PBS documentary. “I thought I could do more by organizing farmworkers than by trying to teach their hungry children.”
Huerta’s early civil rights work led to her meeting Chavez. In 1962 they started the National Farm Workers Association, which became United Farm Workers of America. She was a key leader and negotiator for years.
Their breakthrough came when they organized Filipino pickers in what became the five-year “Delano Grape Strike.” With Chavez, she negotiated collective bargaining agreements and contracts with big growers, winning precedent-setting health and benefit plans for farmworkers.
Chavez, who died in 1993, described her as fearless, committed to the cause and tough.
Huerta met Sen. Robert Kennedy in 1968 and volunteered with his presidential campaign, registering Mexican Americans in California to vote. Kennedy publicly thanked her after winning the California primary, moments before he was shot.
The assassination devastated Huerta, but she kept organizing. She was jailed 22 times for union demonstrating.
In 1988, she was seriously injured while protesting Republican presidential candidate George H.W. Bush’s opposition to the UFW grape boycott. Caught in a crowd, she was struck by a police officer’s baton, suffered broken ribs and a pulverized spleen. She reached a settlement with the city of San Francisco to resolve her claims.
After a long recovery, Huerta focused on campaigning for women’s rights and encouraging Latinas to run for office.
She also campaigned for Democratic Presidents Clinton, Obama and Joe Biden.
Emilio Huerta, one of her 13 children, said his mother's courage drove her work.
“To dedicate your life to building a dream of a union for farmworkers, to take on agriculture, which to this day is still a powerhouse. ... That took a lot of guts,” he said.
Huerta secured financial aid for the unemployed and disability insurance for California farmworkers. She railed against toxic pesticides, pushed for amnesty for immigrants in the country illegally and opposed federal guest worker programs.
By directing nationwide boycotts of grapes and lettuce in the early 1970s, she helped create the economic pressure and political climate necessary for California to pass the first state law recognizing farmworkers’ right to collective bargaining.
Huerta's leadership in the labor movement made her name synonymous with civil rights in the U.S. and beyond. In “Seeds of Change: The Life and Legacy of Dolores Huerta,” she credited the 1970s women’s movement for providing her with the validation to take the stage with other labor leaders.
“We want to give our children an inheritance of justice, right, not jewels or property or money because they’ll just fight over it," she said in the 2025 documentary. "So the main thing to do is to give them this love for justice — and that is the greatest gift I think that any of us can have.”
Associated Press contributors include Ryan Pearson, Leslie Ambriz, Brian Melley, John Seewer and former AP journalist Russell Contreras.
Allison Serkes, left, and Marissa Sanchez, both parents of children at Dolores Huerta Elementary School, look toward a photo of Huerta in a Dia de los Muertos display at the school, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
FILE - Dolores Huerta, far right, thanks senators after the unanimous vote to designate April 10 as "Dolores Huerta Day," March 18, 2019, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte, File)
FILE - Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
FILE - United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta looks at a mural of the late Cesar Chavez during a dedication of the Cesar Chavez Monument on the San Jose State University campus in San Jose, Calif., Sept. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
FILE - United Farm Workers leader Dolores Huerta, center, leads a rally in San Francisco's Mission District on Nov. 19, 1988, along with Howard Wallace, president of the San Francisco chapter of the UFW, left, and Maria Elena Chavez, 16, the daughter of Cesar Chavez, right, as part of a national boycott of what the UFW claims is the dangerous use of pesticides on table grapes. (AP Photo/Court Mast, File)
FILE - Dolores Huerta, the labor leader, civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, is seen at the California Democratic Party's 2025 State Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
