The 70-year-old host says the decision is entirely his own and simply that it is time.
Ernie Johnson announced Wednesday that his 37th season hosting Inside the NBA will be his last. He delivered the news in a roughly two-and-a-half-minute video message, saying "This will be my last season. Totally my decision. It's just time."
Johnson, who turned 70 this summer, said fans have increasingly asked how much longer he planned to keep doing the show. He has long called Inside a "get-to job," something he looks forward to rather than dreads, but said his decision ultimately came down to the part of the work that viewers never see.
For decades, Johnson has prided himself on the hours of preparation he puts in each day before sitting down at the desk. He said he always told himself he would walk away once that daily preparation became too much to sustain, and that time has now arrived.
No further details were given about who might replace him or how the final season will be marked.