The Best of SBS: Ernie Johnson

Le Batard & Friends - South Beach Sessions

Dan Le Batard, Stugotz

Sports, Society & Culture, Tv & Film, Comedy Interviews, Comedy

4.9 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 29 May 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As "Inside the NBA" on TNT comes to an end, we look back at Ernie Johnson's incredible South Beach Sessions with Dan Le Batard, originally recorded on May 22, 2023. A legend, a national treasure, and the glue that has made "Inside the NBA" on TNT the best show on television for nearly three decades, Ernie Johnson is the best of the best because he's done it all with love. Dan explores the secrets behind the magic of what Ernie does, the humbling wisdom learned from his son, Michael, and the unspoken sensitivities surrounding Shaq, Charles, and Kenny. Ernie also reveals being haunted for years by a rare moment when his ego unleashed the worst in him. Watch the last shows of "Inside the NBA" on TNT's Eastern Conference Finals coverage and listen & subscribe to "The Steam Room with EJ and Chuck" wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to D South Beach session.
0:29.8	I am so happy to be joined by a legendary friend.
0:33.2	He will poo-poo the idea of legend.
0:36.1	He will poo-poo with great humility, the job that he does on
0:41.0	the longest-running, funny show, not just in sports, but for all of television, one could make
0:47.5	an argument that you have the space.
0:50.2	Pooh-pooh.
0:50.8	No, I'm going to do this introduction correctly because I want people to understand all those guys say you're the most important piece and you say that's ridiculous.
0:59.4	Obviously, that's asinine.
1:01.1	They're the stars.
1:02.4	You're just there to serve them.
1:04.3	But you know how to be a host.
1:08.1	And being a host requires a decency, a kindness and an ego that you don't generally
1:15.6	find in the television business because you have to be someone who brings the ball up and just passes
1:22.2	again and again and again does it quietly and you built a monster.
1:28.6	A monster.
1:29.9	I don't know if it's by accident.
1:33.7	I don't know how much inventory.
1:35.9	I imagine you're very meticulous.
1:43.1	There's just simply no way you can do the job as well as you do without caring deeply about the craft of broadcasting.
1:46.3	But I don't think people understand how hard it is to be you,
1:51.3	and I need you to explain it to them without being humble, because it's not as easy as you make it look to do 30 years of the greatest sports television show that there has ever been.
	...

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