Ted Turner, the billionaire media mogul who founded CNN, TNT and TBS, died on Wednesday at the age of 87.
Ahead of the night’s NBA playoff action on ESPN, the Inside the NBA crew, which had formally been a staple of TNT’s basketball coverage before changing networks after TNT lost its NBA broadcast rights, paid tribute to Turner’s legacy. Inside the NBA is still shot in the studio that hosted it during its TNT days.
“The way we all watch sports, in general, can be traced in part to the influence of Ted Turner,” said Ernie Johnson, who has worked for Turner Sports since 1990.
“Here in Atlanta, his name is revered by all of us who have had the chance to work for him,” Johnson said, introducing a video celebrating Turner’s legacy. “Large and colorful, also great words to describe the life of Ted Turner. You might also use ‘maverick’ and ‘visionary.’ For those of us who work at TNT Sports—and that first ‘T’ stands for Turner—his vision, his legacy of big swings and bold ideas is a little more personal. Ted was an architect of impact across the globe, broadcasting, journalism, philanthropy and sports.”
Inside the NBA pays tribute to media mogul and philanthropist Ted Turner ❤️ pic.twitter.com/pQwjLAgmLZ
— ESPN (@espn) May 6, 2026
Turner quite literally changed the way we watch sports
Turner is best known for his founding and stewardship of CNN, TNT. and TBS. While the idea of a 24-hour news network is ubiquitous today, it was revolutionary when CNN first went live in 1980.
In the sports realm, Turner might be best known for his time as owner of the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks. The purchase of the Braves proved to be an ingenious bit of vertical integration, as the Braves provided live sports programming for his network all through the summer, and their presence on national television meant that they quickly became one of the biggest brands in baseball.
In addition to his comments at the top of Inside the NBA, Johnson also joined CNN to speak to Turner’s legacy when news of his death first broke.
“Deep down in here, I’ll always be Turner,” Johnson said.
Ernie Johnson Jr. speaks about Ted Turner on CNN:
— Sports TV News & Updates (@TVSportsUpdates) May 6, 2026
"It's a day of reflection, really, for me. ... You know the way things go these days with acquisitions and mergers and all that stuff, but deep down in here I'll always be Turner." pic.twitter.com/weAt5op0KX
More NBA from Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
- Karl-Anthony Towns Reveals Joke He Shared With Tyrese Maxey After Awkward Mop Moment
- Nick Nurse, 76ers Don’t Have Any Excuses for Going Cold in Fourth Quarter vs. Knicks
- Draymond Green Knows His Future With the Warriors Isn’t Entirely in His Control
- NBA Playoffs: 76ers Go Cold, Spurs Don’t Care They’re Young and More Takeaways
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ernie Johnson, ‘Inside the NBA’ Crew Pay Heartfelt Tribute to TNT Founder Ted Turner.
