Kenny Smith’s seat on Inside the NBA seems to be in jeopardy. It’s just Day 1 without The Jet, but the fans don’t seem to be missing him at all. If anything, the viewers are too excited about the new substitute. A very special old member of the TNT family made a guest appearance in place of Smith for last night’s slate. Fans seem to have gotten nostalgic and smitten with the special guest as demands for a new addition rise on social media.

While the crew members didn’t reveal the reason behind Smith’s absence, we can’t deny that seeing former ESPN analyst Jalen Rose on the show was a refreshing change. When host Ernie Johnson asked the question, Rose simply said, “He’s just off.” However, the reason could be that the 2x NBA Champion is spending some quality time with his family for Thanksgiving.

On the other hand, Rose seems to have settled well with the cast of Inside the NBA on the first day. Well, the media veteran has experience and is quite familiar as he has worked with the TNT family before. He was the sideline reporter for TNT during the 2006 NBA Playoffs. Taking to his X handle, he shared a picture of him sitting behind the desk on the show alongside the cast and wrote, “We’re back!!!!”

Following his retirement, the Michigan Fab Five member went on to work as an analyst for ABC/ESPN. However, he was unfortunately laid off from ESPN in 2023 as part of cost-cutting measures. Rose was among the famed 20 ESPN commentators and reporters, including Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber, Steve Young, and more, who were fired from the company, sending shockwaves through the industry.

As per sources, Rose might join the Inside the NBA cast after a week, on the same day that Smith takes the day off. Furthermore, he is also likely to join the alternate telecast of the final day of the NBA Cup group play. Now that the veteran is back, fans can hardly contain their excitement.

Fans have gotten all too nostalgic to see Jalen Rose in place of Kenny Smith

The excitement can be said to be at the same level for the NBA legend as well. Rose excitedly shared a “then vs. now” post with his followers. In the old picture from the ’90s, Rose is featured in a segment for Inside the NBA, while the recent picture is added below. Among fans expressing happiness that their favorite NBA analyst is back in the family, one of them wrote, “So d-pe fam no doubt!!”

Speaking of Rose’s playing days, he was part of the Fab Five at the University of Michigan. Much later, after his retirement, the basketball legend produced The Fab Five documentary for ESPN, which became the highest-rated documentary as per the Nielsen Company. In a short period, he has had a great broadcasting career. No wonder, another fan wrote, “Jalen Rose on Inside the NBA makes too much sense.”

Rose has been a household name in the broadcasting world. He has worked on SportsCenter and became the host of NBA Countdown. He also owns a production company, Three Tier Entertainment. Meanwhile, Smith holds over two decades of impressive experience in the broadcasting world. So, in that case, only a seasoned media veteran such as Rose could take Smith’s place, right? This fan who wrote, “Congratulations @JalenRose – great to see you and seamlessly fitting in as well!” seems to believe the same.

Another fan was happy to see Rose get back with the crew and wrote, “Jalen!!!! Been missing seeing him!!!!” But some were wondering about Smith. As we said, many assumed Smith was leaving the show as this one who wrote, “Wait is Kenny leaving?” While the other demanded, “suspend Kenny with pay, Jalen vibes too cool to break this up.”

Don’t worry, Smith isn’t fired or exiting, as one might quickly assume. After TNT’s parent company settled a legal battle with the NBA, it made another deal with ESPN, under which the show will air on ESPN after the 2024-2025 season. However, this isn’t the reason behind his absence. Regardless, fans have been more welcoming to the new guest. “Make it permanent. Kenny is unbearable,” another fan demanded.

While Kenny certainly isn’t fired, something big seems to be in the works, raising the question of whether the former New York Knicks player will return to full action in NBA coverage when NBC starts its tenure.