Ted Turner, the billionaire media mogul who founded CNN, TNT and TBS, died on Wednesday at the age of 87.
Ahead of the night's NBA playoff action on ESPN, the Inside the NBA crew—which had formally been a staple of TNT's basketball coverage before changing networks after TNT lost its NBA broadcast rights—paid tribute to Turner's legacy. Inside the NBA is still shot in the studio that hosted it during its TNT days.
"The way we all watch sports, in general, can be traced in part to the influence of Ted Turner"
"Here in Atlanta, his name is revered by all of us who have had the chance to work for him," said Ernie Johnson, who has worked for Turner Sports since 1990.
Johnson introduced a video celebrating Turner's legacy, saying: "Large and colorful, also great words to describe the life of Ted Turner. You might also use 'maverick' and 'visionary.' For those of us who work at TNT Sports—and that first 'T' stands for Turner—his vision, his legacy of big swings and bold ideas is a little more personal. Ted was an architect of impact across the globe, broadcasting, journalism, philanthropy and sports."
Turner quite literally changed the way we watch sports
In addition to his comments at the top of Inside the NBA, Johnson also joined CNN to speak to Turner's legacy when news of his death first broke.
"Deep down in here, I'll always be Turner," Johnson said.