The Jet raced too hard into the screen last week and he had to sit this one out. TNT announced that Tuesday’s edition of Inside the NBA will feature a special guest. Tonight, Jalen Rose is back to his Turner Roots not as a fifth talking head but as a substitute. Kenny Smith was noticeably absent between Chuck and Ernie. And of course, fans had questions. Barring Charles Barkley’s made-up claims, there was some speculation about where Kenny was.

The Tip-Off show started as it normally does with Ernie Johnson introducing his crew but instead of his usual inflection for “Kenny “The Jet” Smith,” he states, “Kenny is off.” Chuckster was in the mood to stir the pot today, so he yelled, “Got fired! Got fired, hopefully.” Did Kenny really get fired?

Well, the show has been going through a lot. In the first place, it is not just a show on basketball analysis, but much more than that. Celebrating its 35th year, the show has collected 21 Emmys and is recognized inside the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. And it’s all because of the chemistry and unpredictability of everyone involved. The script is never the same, and even sometimes, there is no script.

Ernie Johnson belongs to the Rushmore of studio hosts. Shaquille O’Neal will dish out his takes during the show and then his products during commercials! Kenny Smith is cerebral and smooth except when he sprints to the big board at halftime. And then there’s Charles Barkley who is made for this. So when the dispute arose between TNT and the NBA, threatening the future of the show, the NBA world was mourning. Fortunately, ESPN announced in a release on November 18 that the show will appear on ESPN and ABC from the 2025-26 season. So was there any new development in Smith’s absence?

That’s a big no from The Godfather. Ernie didn’t let Chuck start the Kenny trolling too early. After Jalen Rose clarified, “He’s just off,” Ernie offered the hints for fans to draw their own conclusions. “The week of Thanksgiving, Kenny off, I don’t know, you guys tie the loose ends with us.” 

Ernie’s clues do add up. Kenny is not under the weather, it’s not a sudden absence, and as much as Charles Barkley would like you to believe, he’s not fired a week after ESPN picked up the show. The Rockets legend has very sporadic activity on social media and has kept his whereabouts quiet. But it’s likely that he’s spending Thanksgiving week with his family. However, as they say, ‘the show must go on’! and ‘Inside the NBA’s crew has been instrumental in that.

Kenny was once asked, “Why do you think the show connected with viewers the way it has?” Kenny had explained, “Everyone is involved in the show, and they have a voice. We’re the only show where you know who Underdog (Joe Underhill) is, you know who Mike (Winslow) and Phil (Barker) are, you know who Alex (Houvouras) is.

“Because we say their names on the show because they’re such a part of the show and we talk to them. Sometimes, I think things that Alex and Phil tell me. And Mike. I’ll say it on the air and say, “Underdog said that Jayson Tatum can’t guard …” So it becomes such a fabric of realness that can’t be duplicated, and I think people appreciate that.” Understandably, Kenny had the blessing of this crew while he was absent since TNT looked perfectly prepared for this.

Kenny is not being missed tonight

Ahead of Tuesday’s broadcast, TNT Sports announced that Kenny would take the day off. They also confirmed the special guest subbing in for him will be Jalen Rose. The NBA star was previously at ESPN and they’re practically family now that the Disney-owned network will keep Inside the NBA going.

Would Rose reappear on ESPN again via Inside the NBA? Who knows! But he’s no newbie on the Turner circuit. Back when he was still a player, he did something like Draymond Green does now, getting into sideline reporting. The crew dug up one of his best sideline reports from the vault as an initiation rite.

It was a throwback to 2006 when Nick Van Exel, before he made the transition to coaching, was accurately tossing towels at Jalen Rose’s head during his soundbite. Two decades later, Rose is praising his commitment to the mic for not letting that get to him.

Too bad for Kenny, Rose is doing a great job and making a solid case to steal his chair. But he’s confirmed he’s repping “the OG” Kenny and even did some warm-ups to outrace Shaq and Chuck to the board to preserve The Jet’s record. This won’t be the last we see of TNT Jalen. He will return for the final day of the NBA Cup’s group stage. And rumor has it that Kenny will be on it too.