Ernie Johnson Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Johnson in 2019 | |
| Born | Ernest Thorwald Johnson Jr.[1] (1956-08-07)August 7, 1956 (age 69) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Education | University of Georgia (BA) |
| Occupation | On-air personality /sportscaster forTNT Sports |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 6 |
| Father | Ernie Johnson Sr. |
Ernest Thorwald Johnson Jr. (born August 7,[2] 1956) is an American sportscaster forTNT Sports. He is the television voice and a studio host forMajor League Baseball on TBS, hostsInside the NBA forESPN,ABC, andNBA TV (formerlyTNT) and contributes to the joint coverage of theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for TNT Sports andCBS Sports. His father wasErnie Johnson Sr., aMajor League Baseball pitcher andAtlanta Braves play-by-play announcer.[3] Johnson has been described as one of the greatest sports studio hosts in television history, particularly for his role onInside the NBA.[4]
Johnson was born in 1956 inMilwaukee, Wisconsin. His father,Ernie Johnson Sr., was aMajor League Baseball player who later became a television sports commentator.[5] Johnson's family moved toAtlanta, Georgia, after his father retired from professional baseball in 1964, when Ernie was eight years old.
Johnson attended high school at theMarist School, a privateCatholic school inBrookhaven, Georgia, and graduated in 1974. He then went to theUniversity of Georgia and majored injournalism.[6] Johnson playedfirst base on theBulldogs baseball team his freshman year.[7] He graduated in 1978 with aBachelor of Arts,summa cum laude.[6][7]
During college, Johnson got his first sportscasting job as the news and sports director for the radio stationWAGQ-FM inAthens, Georgia.[3]
In 1979, Johnson was hired as a news anchor atWMAZ-TV inMacon, Georgia. He worked there until 1981, when he was hired as a news reporter atWSPA-TV inSpartanburg, South Carolina. Johnson worked inAtlanta atWSB-TV as a general assignment news reporter in 1982. He became the station's weekend sports anchor and reporter in 1983. He held those jobs until 1989, when he left to join Turner Sports.[3]
From 1993 to 1996, Johnson calledAtlanta Bravesbaseball games for SportSouth (nowFanDuel Sports Network South) with his father.[3]
.jpg)
Known as "E.J.", Johnson works as the studio host for ESPN's coverage of theNBA, including pregame and halftime shows, and the network's famous postgame studio show that airs after each NBA doubleheader,Inside the NBA. He has hosted the show since 1990.[8][9]
At the end of each broadcast, Ernie presents "E.J.'s Neat-O Stat of the Night", which has become a popular part of the show but is sponsored by no one, hence the sign that says "Your logo here". This changed in 2007 whenvitaminwater sponsored the segment, replaced byPanasonic's Viera line of televisions in 2008. For the 2005–06 season, his segments were sponsored by Intel Centrino andSuzuki. In the2008 NBA Playoffs, his segments were presented byGeico and vitaminwater.
For all NBA-related shows, Johnson is joined by former NBA starsKenny Smith,Charles Barkley,Shaquille O'Neal, and occasionallyChris Webber,Grant Hill, orReggie Miller. In the 2012–13 season he was joined byAnfernee "Penny" Hardaway andDennis Scott while Smith and Barkley coveredMarch Madness onCBS.
Johnson also hostsTuesday Fan Night on sister station NBA TV, alongside Webber andGreg Anthony. He also hosts and moderates NBA TV'sOpen Court, a basketball-panel show featuring Johnson and a rotation of six panelists (all of whom are TNT NBA analysts) discussing various topics, ranging from the history of the NBA to the current state of the league.
In October 2022, Johnson signed a long-term contract extension withWarner Bros. Discovery Sports to continue as a host onInside the NBA.[10]
After TNT lost NBA rights, Johnson joinedESPN as a studio host for theNBA tip-off and post-game coverage. He reunited withKenny Smith,Charles Barkley, andShaquille O'Neal. He is expected to work for the service's conference finals, including theNBA Finals coverage, for the first time.[11]
In addition to working basketball, Johnson is also theplay-by-play announcer for TNT'sPGA Tour coverage. At TBS, he worked as the studio host for its coverage ofcollege football. In 2002, Johnson was co-winner of theSports Emmy forOutstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host, tying withBob Costas ofNBC andHBO. It was the first time he had been nominated for a Sports Emmy. In 2006, Johnson won the award again, this time on his own, snapping Costas's six-year streak, including the year the two shared the honor. From 2007 to 2009, Johnson worked as the studio host alongsideCal Ripken Jr. for TBS's coverage ofMajor League Baseball. In 2010, he moved into a play-by-play role for TBS, serving as the lead broadcaster for TBS's playoff coverage, including the2010 ALCS. He also broadcast 40Atlanta Braves games on sister channelPeachtree TV. In 2020, Johnson again became a studio host for TBS's pregame and postgame show while continuing his play-by-play role for TBS's coverage of Major League Baseball.
Johnson's past work at TNT included roles as studio host forThe Championships, Wimbledon, from 2000 to 2002, studio host for itsNational Football League coverage from 1990 to 1997, and various duties at the 1994, 1998, and 2001Goodwill Games, as well as the1992 Winter Olympics inAlbertville, France, and the1994 Winter Olympics inLillehammer. He was the studio host for TNT's coverage of the1990 FIFA World Cup. He co-hosted Barkley's now-defunct talk show,Listen Up! Past work at TBS includes working as studio host for its NBA coverage. Johnson also calledweightlifting for NBC's coverage of the2000 Summer Olympics inSydney. He serves as a studio host for the NCAA tournament for CBS andTurner Sports, alternating withGreg Gumbel until Gumbel's death in 2024.
In 2015, Johnson won his third Sports Emmy for Best Studio Host, and gave his award to the daughters of the lateStuart Scott, who died in January 2015.[12]
Johnson is also a sportscaster onNBA Live 98, and theNBA 2K franchise since 2014.[13]
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–2025 | Inside the NBA | Lead studio host | TNT |
| 2025–present | ESPN/ABC | ||
| 1993–1996 | Atlanta Braves on SportsSouth | Play-by-play | |
| 2002–2020 | Golf on TNT | Lead play-by-play | TNT |
| 2002–2006 | College Football on TBS | Lead studio host | TBS |
| 2006–2010, 2020–present | MLB on TBS | Studio host | |
| 2010–present | Play-by-play (lead play-by-play 2010, 2012–2018), (regular season 2020–present) | ||
| 2011–present | NCAA men's basketball tournament on CBS/TBS/TNT/TruTV | Lead studio host | CBS/TNT/TBS/TruTV |
Johnson and his wife, Cheryl, a licensed professional counselor, live inBraselton, Georgia. They have two biological children and four adopted children.[14]
RaisedCatholic,[15] Johnson now[when?] identifies as Protestant and works on a regular basis with theFellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA),Athletes in Action (AIA), andSamaritan's Feet.[citation needed]
Johnson is a devotedAtlanta Braves fan. Though he was born in Milwaukee, his family moved to the Atlanta area when he was eight, and he considers it his hometown. He attended high school at theMarist School inBrookhaven, Georgia.[citation needed]
On the November 10, 2016, edition ofInside the NBA, Johnson and co-hosts were discussing the2016 U.S. presidential election andDonald Trump's upset overHillary Clinton. While giving his remarks, Johnson talked about the build-up to Election Day, and how he would lean on his Christian faith and pray for the transition of power and for the division in the country. He also revealed that he wrote in his vote for Ohio governorJohn Kasich, who was one of the17 Republican candidates and the last to suspend his campaign.[citation needed]
In April 2017, he released his memoir,Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary.[1]
In 2003, Johnson was diagnosed withnon-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but continued his work through June 2006, when he began treatment. Due to his cancer, he missed TNT's coverage of theBritish Open andPGA Championship, the last two major golf tournaments of 2006. Johnson returned toInside the NBA on October 31, 2006, while continuingchemotherapy.[citation needed]
On October 1, 2018, Johnson announced that he would miss the2018 MLB postseason on TBS after being diagnosed with blood clots in both of his legs, which affects his ability to travel by air.[16]
Johnson has worked with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports for 34 years, he said, and has worked in broadcasting for over four decades. He's hosted Inside the NBA on TNT since 1990.
Media related toErnie Johnson Jr. at Wikimedia Commons| Preceded by | Lead play-by-play announcer,Major League Baseball on TBS 2010 2012–2016 | Succeeded by |