When Ernie Johnson’s phone rang, he figured he knew what the call was about.
The longtime broadcaster had just announced that this would be his final season hosting Inside the NBA. It sounded like retirement news, though Johnson quickly clarified he wasn’t retiring.
But his friend wasn’t calling about basketball or Johnson’s broadcast career. Instead, his friend was in the hospital, and the doctors hadn’t yet figured out what was wrong. They had ruled out myeloma, but more tests were coming.
Johnson could hear the worry in his friend’s voice. He knew that feeling. He had been on the other side of that conversation, in a doctor’s office, waiting for someone to tell him what was happening.
He offered what he could.
“This is the worst part,” Johnson told his friend. “The worst part is not knowing.”
The conversation happened the day before Johnson spoke with Men’s Journal for Aflac’s Check for Cancer initiative. For someone who has faced two cancer diagnoses, overcoming the fear of getting checked is personal.
“It Rocks Your World”
Johnson was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2003. Because it wasn’t particularly aggressive, his doctors initially opted for what is known as ‘watchful waiting’. In 2006, he began chemotherapy and went into remission, where he says he has remained. A prostate cancer diagnosis followed about seven or eight years ago.
The first time a doctor told him he had cancer, he remembers, “It rocks your world.”
But he wasn’t entirely without a frame of reference. His oldest sister had faced cancer. So had his mother, who battled the disease more than once. His father, Johnson recalled, used to say when it came to his mother facing cancer that she was, “tougher than a Waffle House steak.”
It’s a pretty specific measure of toughness, especially since steak is the last thing you should order at Waffle House, but it clearly carried plenty of affection. Watching the women in his family face cancer helped Johnson think about his own risk. It also gave him an example of how to meet the challenge ahead.
“I saw their fights,” he said. “All that did to me was say, look, they do this, you can do it too.”
Getting Past the Fear of Getting Checked
That doesn’t mean the fear disappears, though. Johnson understands the temptation to avoid the doctor’s office because of the news you might receive while you’re there. Sometimes it seems easier not to find out.
But the uncertainty doesn’t necessarily go away just because you avoid the appointment. There’s the familiar internal conversation. Should I get checked? I’m really busy. Let’s wait until later. I’m probably fine. Then six months pass, and you’re still telling yourself the same thing.
“You gotta take the action,” he said.
For Johnson, the stakes are easy to picture. He smiles as he recounts attending his children’s weddings and his five grandchildren running around. Those are moments he has been fortunate enough to experience after his diagnosis and treatment.
His message to men is straightforward: Talk with your doctor, talk with your family, and make your health a priority. Through Aflac’s Check for Cancer initiative, Johnson is encouraging men to understand their personal cancer risks and discuss recommended screenings with a healthcare provider.
“Cancer is a club nobody wants to join,” he said, but he believes that experience leaves him with something to offer.
“There comes with it an opportunity and a responsibility to help the next person through it.”
Making Room for What Comes Next
Johnson’s ordinary days still include broadcast work. Despite the 2026-2027 season being his last with Inside the NBA, he will continue to work with TNT and CBS, including March Madness. He’s also launching 32 Bowties, a production company focused on feel-good sports stories.
“The world’s tough, man,” he said. “Sometimes you’re afraid to turn the news on. I think we need to be a source of feel-good stories, and that’s really the foundation for the production company.”
So, no, Johnson isn’t retiring, and as he considers what comes next, he wants other men to give themselves the chance to do the same.
“You gotta be open about it,” he said. “You gotta have conversations with your doctor about it, with your family about it, and you’ve got to prioritize your health.”
Visit CheckForCancerNow.com to take a free cancer screening assessment and learn about recommended screenings to discuss with your healthcare provider.
