1. I know I can\u2019t expect sports fans to be rational. And I know that I can\u2019t expect people on social media to do nuance. And I\u2019m fully aware that in 2025, people just want to be outraged.<\/p>\n
Given all that, I was still taken aback by the reaction to this season\u2019s Inside the NBA schedule.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, ESPN released the dates that Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal will grace our screens for the 2025\u201326 season.<\/p>\n
One thing everyone should keep in mind is that the show will still be produced by TNT Sports, not by ESPN. ESPN\u2019s only involvement is in airing the show. ESPN does not have a say in the creative aspect of the show. That will still be handled by TNT and emanate from the same Atlanta studio as always. But ESPN will carry the show on its network, so that leads to the scheduling of Inside the NBA.<\/p>\n
The schedule that came out was inconsistent and filled with gaps. Naturally, people went after ESPN for \u201cmessing\u201d with Inside the NBA.<\/p>\n
I posted the schedule on social media and couldn\u2019t believe the vitriol that came with it.<\/p>\n
Here are the regular-season dates that \u201cInside the NBA\u201d featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaq, will air on ESPN. pic.twitter.com\/CFktSnVght<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) October 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The truth, though, is that if it wasn\u2019t for ESPN, we likely wouldn\u2019t have Inside the NBA at all. The blame for Inside the NBA\u2019s new normal should be directed at the NBA, not ESPN.<\/p>\n The NBA was the company that decided to ditch TNT and end a partnership that lasted 36 years. Once NBA dumped TNT for Amazon, we were never going to get the same exact Inside the NBA that we had for so many years. There had to be some change.<\/p>\n With TNT, things were simple. Ernie, Chuck, Kenny and Shaq would do their thing every Thursday night during the regular season. However, ESPN\u2019s NBA schedule is different than TNT\u2019s. The network gets a Wednesday night game and then a combination of Saturday\/Sunday games later in the season after the NFL and college football seasons end.<\/p>\n The crew was never going to work twice a week during the regular season. So, ESPN has decided to mainly use Inside the NBA when its Saturday\/Sunday game schedule picks up.<\/p>\n I get why people would be unhappy that we won\u2019t see Inside the NBA from Nov. 12 until Dec. 25. And then not again until Jan. 24 but that’s dictated by ESPN\u2019s NBA schedule behind backloaded later in the season.<\/p>\n NBA fans need to remember, though, that Inside the NBA could\u2019ve been gone forever if ESPN didn\u2019t pick it up. Maybe NBC or Amazon would\u2019ve done the same, but would those companies keep the same exact cast? Would they still have TNT produce the show? Nobody knows. At least with this setup, we know the four cast members will be together and it\u2019s being produced by the same company that has always produced the show.<\/p>\n One thing that fans can blame ESPN for is its absurd plan to have some Saturday night editions of Inside the NBA, move to ESPN\u2019s app when its time to go to local news.<\/p>\n The post-game show is expected be the same length, but when the post-game is on ABC on Saturdays if it keeps going after local news begins, it will continue on the ESPN app. https:\/\/t.co\/NtCpBuw2Tm<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) October 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n I don\u2019t want to speak for everyone, but as much as I love Inside the NBA, I can tell you that I will never ever fire up ESPN\u2019s app to watch the remaining moments of the show. ESPN has a slew of linear channels. It should at least put the postgame on one of those channels in addition to the app.<\/p>\n 2. Tough break for the NBA\u2019s newest broadcast partners. LeBron James is expected to miss the start of the season with sciatica.<\/p>\n NBC is slated to air the Lakers against the Warriors on opening night, Tuesday Oct. 21, while Amazon Prime\u2019s first-ever night airing the NBA, Friday, Oct. 24, will feature the Timberwolves at the Lakers.<\/p>\n 3. It\u2019s still hard to believe what happened at the end of Thursday\u2019s Phillies-Dodgers game. Here\u2019s how the surreal error by pitcher Orion Kerkering sounded on local Phillies radio.<\/p>\n The Phillies are eliminated on a walk-off error, as called by Phillies radio\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/1JKemY3TTy<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rich MacLeod (@richmacleod) October 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n And while the moment was heartbreaking, this was a tremendous camera shot that captured the madness.<\/p>\n The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. pic.twitter.com\/rJ4YGeyOX4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n 4. This is great. Kirk Herbstreit has revealed that he\u2019ll be trying to work in some lingo used by his kids during games this season. He got things under way during Thursday\u2019s Eagles-Giants game.<\/p>\n My 4 boys, all 19-25, challenged me over the summer to slide a couple terms in every once in awhile. \u2014 Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) October 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n 5. What. A. Stat.<\/p>\n The Browns are currently paying EIGHT QBs.<\/p>\n \u2022 Deshaun Watson, $35.9M (via @spotrac<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/qoOsqbDYsS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n 6. This week\u2019s episode of\u00a0SI Media With Jimmy Traina\u00a0features a conversation with ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco.<\/p>\n Ruocco talks about calling the WNBA Finals, the constant off-the-court attention that the WNBA receives, controversies involving the refs and the commissioner, Caitlin Clark\u2019s impact, ratings and scheduling the Finals against NFL action.<\/p>\n In addition, Ruocco talks about calling fewer Yankees games but more Nets games for the YES Network, being in the mix for the Yankees radio job after John Sterling retired, what he loves about calling NBA games for ESPN and much more.<\/p>\n Following Ruocco, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly \u201cTraina Thoughts\u201d segment. This week, we discuss the Major League Baseball playoffs, the performance of Fox play-by-play guy, Eric Collins during last week\u2019s Dolphins-Panthers game, Hulu canceling its show about North Carolina football and how Bill Belichick has tarnished his legacy, the Mark Sanchez arrest, a ridiculous betting loss, current movies and more<\/p>\n You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple<\/a> and Spotify<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina<\/a> on\u00a0Sports Illustrated\u2018s\u00a0YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n 7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: I showed this video to a friend of mine the other day and he had never seen it, which stunned me. So I\u2019m posting it today just in case any of you have never enjoyed this wonderful local news fight.<\/p>\n Be sure to\u00a0catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts<\/a>\u00a0and check out the\u00a0Sports Illustrated Media Podcast\u00a0hosted by Jimmy Traina on\u00a0Apple<\/a>,\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Google<\/a>. You can also follow Jimmy on\u00a0X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cAura farming\u201d \u201cit\u2019s not that deep\u201d \u201crage baiting\u201d and \u201cchalked\u201d. Told em I\u2019ll try Chalked if it applies. It applied last night late in the 4th Q \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n
\u2022 Jameis Winston, $2.2M
\u2022 Dillon Gabriel, $1.1M
\u2022 Joe Flacco, $999K
\u2022 Shedeur Sanders, $955K
\u2022 Bailey Zappe, $315K
\u2022 Dorian Thompson-Robinson, $171K
\u2022 Kenny Pickett, $8K<\/p>\n