Ernie Johnson, Jr. is one of sport's most respected and loved personalities. The six-time Sports
Emmy
Award winner and host of TNT's "Inside the NBA" has helped audiences break down games and belly
laugh
for decades. “Inside” was honored by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as the inaugural winner of
the
“Transformative Media Award” for its impact on the game of basketball. Ernie is also co-host of The
Steam Room podcast and a host for Turner and CBS's NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship
coverage, as well as Major League Baseball on TBS. In his thirty-plus years at Turner his duties
have
included The PGA Championship, The Open Championship, NFL, Wimbledon, and the Olympics.
In addition to his professional accolades and lifetime achievement awards, Ernie has earned honors
recognizing his incredible actions off-camera, including the first-ever John Wooden Keys to Life
Award
and a Musial Award, both of which salute characteristics such as integrity, faith, and good
sportsmanship. In 2023 he was awarded the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation’s “Award of Excellence.”
He
has also been inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. A
1978
graduate of the University of Georgia, he delivered the commencement address to the graduating class
of
2017.
Maybe more impressive than his professional fame and recognition is Ernie's innate ability to
connect
with people on a human level. His willingness to discuss topics such as the adoption of his and his
wife
Cheryl's children, including their special needs son Michael; the death of his father and best
friend,
iconic sportscaster and pitcher Ernie Johnson; and his own battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and
prostate cancer has endeared him and given hope to millions.
His New York Times best-selling book "Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life
Extraordinary," takes readers behind the scenes of those very moments. With grace and humility,
Ernie
gives readers a look at TV's most popular shows and broadcasts, as well as into the privacy of his
own
home to share hard-won lessons in being open and slowing down to savor what he calls the “blackberry
moments” that truly matter. “Unscripted” takes readers back to Ernie's early days, offering intimate
insight into his athletic career, first jobs in TV, falling in love, his close relationship with his
father and more. While the book is full of warm tales from Ernie's youth and hilarious outtakes
featuring coworkers Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal, “Unscripted” does not stick
solely to life's happy surprises. From the passing of his father, the adoption of their special
needs
children, the health scares of his son Michael, to his own cancer challenges, and much more, Ernie
shares the gut-wrenching side of weathering the unexpected with grace, wit, and wisdom. Ernie lives
in
Braselton, Georgia, with his wife, Cheryl, and their six children, four of whom are adopted, and
they
have been blessed with five grandchildren.
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