Ernie Johnson to leave Inside the NBA after this season

No rumor, no leak, no anonymous source. EJ told everyone himself in a short video on Wednesday afternoon, and the internet stopped scrolling.

ClutchPoints

@ClutchPoints

🚨 BREAKING: Ernie Johnson announces that this will be his final season as host of Inside the NBA. Congrats, EJ 👏

His reasoning is about as EJ as it gets. He turned 70 this summer and has always called Inside a "get-to job." He said it came down to the part viewers never see, the hours of prep he puts in every day before he sits down at the desk. He'd promised himself he'd walk away once that work became more of a challenge than a joy. After 37 seasons, he says he's there. "This will be my last season. Totally my decision. It's just time," he said.

There's a health piece too, and he was open about it. Johnson said he's dealt with heart problems for nearly 2 years and had bypass surgery 14 months ago. He says he feels great and that no doctor told him to stop. But he said going through it made him treasure every second with Cheryl Anne, his wife of 44 years, and being "Poppy" to their 5 grandchildren. Anyone who knows his story knows family has always come first for him.

Before anybody started writing tributes like he was riding off into the sunset, he made sure to clear one thing up within minutes.

ClutchPoints

@ClutchPoints

Ernie Johnson clarifies he's not retiring from broadcasting entirely. He will continue to do March Madness and other projects for TNT and CBS.

So EJ is still going to be the voice of March Madness, and that matters. He's also launched a production company called 32 Bow Ties that will focus on feel-good sports stories, which is about the most on-brand name he could have picked. He's leaving the desk. He's not leaving TV.

The reaction across the NBA world was what you'd expect for a guy who's basically impossible to dislike. Reporters, beat writers and people who've only met him once all said some version of the same thing: legend, and a genuinely good dude.

Jon Krawczynski

@JonKrawczynski

The legend of all legends. Thank you, @TurnerSportsEJ. For everything.

Ernie Johnson

@TurnerSportsEJ

It’s time. 🤟🤟🏾🤟🏻🤟🏽 t.co/h1qNwsnkUY

Then comes the big question: what happens to the rest of the desk? Inside the NBA survived the end of TNT's NBA deal and moved to ESPN with Chuck, Shaq and Kenny still there, but EJ has always been the guy holding the chaos together. Charles Barkley has said before that he and Ernie were "a package deal," even if he later hinted he might stick around longer. If Chuck means it, this season could be the end of the whole show as we know it. Either way, every Inside episode from here on is a farewell tour, so enjoy the Gone Fishin' segments while they last.