Inside the NBA on TNT has become must see TV for basketball fans just knowing the chemistry between the entire cast of Enrie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Shaquille O’Neal. It works because all four men seem to like each other and enjoy each other’s company. Now there could be another member of the cast and it could be none other than the recently-retired Kobe Bryant.
Barkley and Smith have been mainstays and when Shaq joined in 2012, it didn’t upset the chemistry of the show and added some comedy to an already funny show.
Both Smith and Shaq have publicly said they would like Kobe to join the show and according to TMZ Sports, Turner has reached out hoping that Bryant will be the newest member of Inside the NBA:
Both Kenny and Shaq have publicly talked about wanting Kobe to join the panel on the TNT show after he retired from the NBA … and now, our sources tell us the courting has officially begun.
It’s unclear if producers are trying to lock Kobe up to join the guys for the current NBA playoffs … or if they’re looking more toward getting him as a regular for next season.
As one well-placed source connected to the show put it … “We’d love to have Kobe.”
Despite their rocky relationship in Los Angeles when they were Laker teammates, Shaq has made it known that he.would like Bryant on the show and he was at the Staples Center last week for Kobe’s last game.
And while Kobe has done plenty of media interviews, he’s hasn’t shown any signs that he’s interested in TV either as.a game or studio analyst.
So will Bryant take a flier and join TNT or will he decide to focus on some business ventures during his retirement? If the TMZ report is to be believed, the ball is in his court and it’s up to him whether he wants to go into TV.
