Ernie Johnson Credit: TNT | Ernie Johnson learns on air that he’ll be inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
TVBy Sam Neumann on

The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame announced its 2023 class this week, and it’s stacked with some recognizable names. The nine-person group includes Ernie Johnson, Cris Collinsowrth, Andrea Joyce and Lance Barrow among others.

Of course, Johnson learned of his induction on a great on-air moment last month, thanks to his longtime NBA on TNT broadcast teammate, former NBA great Charles Barkley, Barkley informed EJ of the big news on coverage of The Match on TNT.

“Guys? Can I say something, Ernie?” Barkley asked. “This is big, this is big,” the former NBA MVP said as he drummed up the moment.

“I want to be the first–I’m the only person up here who knows this–I wanna be the first person; it’s an honor and a privilege to congratulate Ernie Johnson on going into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.”

Here’s more on Johnson and his fellow nominees, as per Thursday’s release:

Ernie Johnson: Three-time Sports Emmy Award-winner Johnson is in his 34th year as studio host for Turner’s NBA coverage and NBA on TNT. 

Cris Collinsworth: The only NFL analyst other than John Madden to receive a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Event Analyst, Collinsworth has taken home the award nine times. He currently sits alongside Mike Tirico in the NBC Sunday Night Football announce booth. His career began in 1990 when he joined NBC Sports as a game analyst for NFL coverage and selected college-football broadcasts.

Lance Barrow: Barrow retired in 2020 after a rich career at CBS Sports that included working as coordinating golf producer from 1997 to 2020 and as lead game producer for CBS Sports NFL coverage from 2004 to 2017. The 12-time Emmy Award winner worked on the Masters and the PGA Championship, NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, Daytona 500, US Open Tennis Championships, and The NFL Today and six Super Bowls. Barrow earned Emmy Awards for his work on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, the Daytona 500, and the NFL.

Andrea Joyce: During a career that spans nearly 30 years on the national stage, Joyce has spent time at ESPN, CBS Sports, and now NBC Sports, building a reputation for solid reporting on a wide range of global and national sports events. 

The full list also includes Big East commissioner Val Ackerman, sports production expert Tom Fletcher, NBA EVP Steve Hellmuth, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, and camera operator Jeff Zachary. The 2023 class will be honored on Dec. 12, 2023, at the New York Hilton Midtown.

[Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

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