I’m not exactly sure why Ernie Johnson decided to perform “My Shot” from Hamilton on Wednesday night’s playoff edition of Inside the NBA. Maybe there was a playoff connection of some kind? Maybe it was a special request from someone in the last season of the NBA on TNT? Maybe it was just something that he always wanted to do. But I do know that the world is much richer for it.
You never know quite what you are going to get on Inside the NBA on any given night. And that’s one of the central reasons why the show has become so beloved over the years. Usually, the best moments actually have nothing to do with basketball.
And on Wednesday, that just happened to be host Ernie Johnson donning a white powder wig and early Americana costume to perform one of the signature pieces from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton. And perform it quite well.
From the musical Hamilton. Ladies & gentlemen, Ernie Johnson 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Nxvz8QsajM
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 24, 2025
Who knew that Ernie Johnson had this in his bag of tricks? He could have been a Broadway performer this entire time while he’s been hosting sports all these years! He could have been winning EGOTs instead of Sports Emmys!
The performance surprised everyone as EJ got sincere praise from his Inside the NBA cast mates, who gave him a standing ovation. Shaquille O’Neal, who has also done some musical performances in his career, complemented Johnson on his flow and breath control.
Now that Inside the NBA is on its way to ESPN next season, maybe this will open up the entire Disney umbrella of musical numbers for Ernie Johnson to perform. If he’s taking requests, “You’re Welcome” from Moana would be a great place to start. If he wants to really challenge himself, then he could go all the way and give us a rendition of “Let It Go.” Eat your heart out Idina Menzel.