Legendary basketball figure Michael Jordan had his first official on-screen role for the NBA last season with NBC, but it appears that is over now. Jordan made headlines when NBC announced him as part of the broadcasting team last summer. NBC had NBA coverage last season for the first time since the early 2000s, and it has been a huge success helping viewership improve.
Unfortunately, the polarizing Jordan interview segments with Mike Tirico may be finished after a report from Front Office Sports:
“Michael Jordan is not expected to return to NBC Sports’s NBA coverage, Front Office Sports has learned. NBC scored a major coup when it landed His Airness as a “special on-air contributor” before the 2025–26 season.
Last year, Jordan’s contributions to NBC’s coverage consisted of one sit-down interview with Mike Tirico, which was spliced into multiple segments that aired throughout the season. Although his conversation with Tirico was fascinating, his appearances were ultimately few and far between, and they didn’t focus on the NBA’s current events.”
Jordan filmed an interview with Tirico, and NBA aired a few minutes from it for each segment. Broader overall topics didn’t fully connect with all viewers expecting more from the NBC hype. The Chicago Bulls’ icon rarely does anything on camera these days to make it more elusive when it was announced.
Why Michael Jordan & NBC Ended Partnership
The negative reaction from many fans over the segments likely caused Jordan’s time with NBC to end. One interview filmed months before all the segments aired made it impossible to get Jordan’s take on things like Luka Doncic leading the Los Angeles Lakers or the MVP race.
Jordan spoke about generally dull evergreen topics that didn’t hold the same appeal of other legends like Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal talking hoops. NBC did things the way Jordan likely wanted since he’s private and protective about his NBA thoughts.
Other names in media love to share their thoughts since it keeps them part of the game. Jordan felt bigger than the game during his playing career with the Bulls and Washington Wizards. The desire to stay a bit distance from the NBA public spotlight saw Jordan not making this as good as it could have to warrant ending the series.
Will We See Michael Jordan Involved Again?
Jordan initially tried to stay involved in the NBA landscape after retirement by having ownership stakes with the Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. No official NBA ties after selling his shares of the Hornets sees him further removed.
The NBC role felt like a nice return, but it clearly wasn’t meant to be a long-term fit. Jordan is likely going to continue staying away from NBA talking spaces to focus on enjoying his life in the way he has over recent years.
The Jordan shoe brand with Nike having sponsored athletes like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum does see MJ interacting with them privately. NBA fans will only be able to see Jordan when he makes special returns, like being part of the NBA 75th anniversary event a few years ago.
Michael Jordan Makes Shocking Decision About NBA Role