The “Inside the NBA” crew concluded its pregame show on Thursday with a somber tone, mourning the unexpected death of stage hand Kevin Thomas. He was 70 years old.
With many crew members behind them, hosts Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal all spoke glowingly of Thomas’ character and impact on the show, which is headed to ESPN next year.
“Inside the NBA” is beloved for both its straight-talk analysis and humor, and it was made very clear Thomas was a key contributor to the latter, with a reel playing showing his on-screen appearances in a number of skits.
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Barkley’s reflection on the loss of Thomas:
“Death is so sudden. Like you’re with somebody one day, then you get the call the next day that they’re gone and you’re like, ‘What?’ We were all in shock when we got the message the other day. Man, what a fun dude. I admired him, I respected him. He did anything we asked him to do.
“We’ve always said, the people behind us do all the heavy lifting on the show. But man, the world is a sadder place because Kevin’s not here. He was just a really good dude and we’re going to miss him.”
Johnson fought tears at the conclusion of the segment, calling the moment “unspeakably difficult” and saying the studio will never be the same.
Thomas is reportedly survived by his wife, son and four grandchildren.