Inside The NBA meets SNL.

Networks featuring their sports talent next to talent from their comedy or drama shows isn’t that unprecedented, but it’s a little more unusual to see that kind of crossover between networks. That’s going to happen Thursday, though, with TNT’s Inside The NBA panel of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley providing segments from NBC’s Saturday Night Live studios in New York City, joined by SNL castmembers.

The connection? Barkley will be hosting SNL for the fourth time on Saturday. But this is still a pretty interesting crossover, and one that should make for a unique edition of Inside The NBA.

Here’s more from Turner’s release:

The NBA on TNT will feature a special Inside the NBA presented by Kia on Thursday, March 1, with the award-winning studio show – Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley – joining the cast of Saturday Night Live for a special appearance from the show’s iconic Studio 8H at Rockefeller Plaza. Later in the week, TNT’s Barkley will serve as host of SNL for the fourth time.

Thursday’s live NBA on TNT game coverage will feature the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James hosting the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves and Karl-Anthony Towns visiting the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard at 10:30 p.m.

Marv Albert, Chris Webber and reporter Kristen Ledlow will be on the call from Philadelphia, while Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller and Allie LaForce will be in Portland. Casey Stern, Candace Parker and Isiah Thomas will provide studio coverage throughout the night from Atlanta.

Inside The NBA has long been famed for its mix of comedy and lighter moments as well as serious basketball analysis, so if any NBA studio show was going to cross over with SNL, it’s a good fit. And SNL has had plenty of basketball takes of its own over the years. Maybe we’ll get Kenan Thompson in character as LaVar Ball here? At any rate, it should be an interesting one to watch.

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.