Mavericks Star Luka Dončić Doesn't Want Inside the NBA to End

Mavericks star Luka Doncic doesn't want Inside the NBA to end.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic doesn't want Inside the NBA to end. / Screenshot from @Dubs408 on X (formerly Twitter).
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Count Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić among the many who do not want TNT's iconic show, Inside the NBA to end.

In the wake of Dončić and the Mavericks clinching an NBA Finals appearance on Thursday night, he joined the Inside the NBA set to discuss the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and the upcoming matchup with the Boston Celtics.

Towards the end of the interview, Charles Barkley wished Dončić good luck in the finals, noting that the TNT crew was done after Thursday night (ESPN holds the broadcast rights to the NBA Finals). Doncic took that as Inside the NBA being done for good, even though the show has one more year on TNT before the network loses NBA broadcast rights with the league's new media deal beginning in the 2025-26 season.

"It was beautiful to watch. Enjoy the finals. We're gonna miss you," Barkley said. "We're done after tonight."

"Oh man," Dončić replied. "You ain't done yet. We've gotta figure out something."

"Oh we've got all next year, too," Ernie Johnson interjected. "And then who knows after that?" Johnson added, alluding to the potential for the show to continue on another network.

Dončić's comments speak to the impact that the show has made on so many NBA fans and players alike over the years.

Fans can certainly relate to Dončić's sentiment that the show must go on elsewhere beyond next season, even with TNT losing its NBA broadcast rights.


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Mike McDaniel

MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.