Ernie Johnson Had Perfect Line After Charles Barkley Ripped TNT’s French Open Promo

America’s favorite postgame show, Inside the NBA, has been celebrating the 2025 postseason with the broadcast equivalent of senioritis.

The already famously loose show has found an extra bit of frivolity, with their run on TNT coming to an end. While the show is set to continue on ESPN in some capacity, the vibes of “what can they do, fire us?” have been plentiful.

On Wednesday night, Charles Barkley delivered another classic moment in that vein. As host Ernie Johnson dutifully read a promo for TNT’s upcoming coverage of the French Open—one of the marquee sporting events that the network is banking on in the wake of losing its NBA rights—Barkley tore in.

“Changing that from French Open to Roland Garros is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard,”
Barkley said. He was immediately admonished by Johnson, who said, “Stop, stop. We’re trying to keep a nice relationship with our new partners.”

“We gave them $60 million a year,” Barkley retorted. “We gave them $60 million a year, they better shut the hell up.”

“Wow,” Johnson concluded. “Probably the last time we’ll run that promo.”

Making the moment all the more hilarious was the fact that the entire conversation played out as a banner promoting the event filled the screen.