Inside the NBA’s Ernie Johnson makes heartfelt impact for father and son

TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson is one of the faces of Inside the NBA. A story told by basketball author Ben Kaplan this week as the future of the show is up in the air speaks to the impact Johnson has made when the cameras aren’t rolling.

Kaplan took to X and detailed the story of Johnson doing two good deeds that were full-circle between Kaplan’s bar mitzvah and the death of his father.

When Kaplan was turning 13 years old, his father surprised him with a video featuring Johnson, Kenny Smith and former co-hosts Peter Vecsey and George Karl.

And here’s the second half. I still to this day have no idea how @PeterVecsey1 did this with a straight face. He knows he’s talking about a 13-yr-old on the biggest day of that kid’s life, with friends and family watching!

Incredible, incredible performance.

(7/X) pic.twitter.com/OduQqlz5gw

— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024

Kaplan’s father was able to get the segment for Kaplan by calling TNT and got a call back from Johnson as the TNT crew produced the segment during the 2000 NBA Playoffs.

Ben Kaplan and Johnson reconnected in 2022 when Kaplan’s father was battling cancer. Ben got in touch via email and Johnson sent his father a personalized video for his 72nd birthday. Johnson shared his number with Kaplan’s father and they kept in touch during his cancer treatments.

A few months later, Kaplan and Johnson appeared on Meredith Shiner’s podcast to discuss the story.

So Meredith ended up having Ernie and I both on her pod to discuss the full circle moment together. We talked about faith and fathers and sports, how those three things weaved together in our lives. It turned out wonderfully. Here’s the link:https://t.co/MHq2jvY3TF

— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024

Shortly after the episode’s release, Kaplan’s father passed away.

Kaplan dedicated his upcoming book, ‘Pipeline to the Pros: How D3, Small-College Nobodies Rose to Rule the NBA’ to his father and thanks Johnson for the gift.

I think about my dad a lot, especially when I’m with my own boys, and ESPECIALLY especially when we’re watching hoops.

Every time I see Ernie on that TNT desk, I think of his generosity, about how he allowed me to repay the best gift I ever received.

(18/x)

— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024

Johnson responded on X to Kaplan’s story, thanking Kaplan for sharing it and sending well wishes to him and his family.

Ben, my friend. You think you do, but you have no idea what this series of events meant to me. My only explanation for the opportunity and the timing is, as @petermayermusic writes in his song “Loose in the World” is that this was all “the hand of the Divine.” Blessings on you… https://t.co/kyoUxM6S7T

— Ernie Johnson (@TurnerSportsEJ) May 8, 2024