Charles Barkley says NBC Sports oversold Michael Jordan’s presence on its NBA coverage last season. Still, the Inside the NBA analyst wants Jordan’s voice to remain part of the conversation.
What We Know: Barkley made the comments during an appearance on In The Trenches with Damien Woody. Last season, NBC added Jordan as a special contributor, a move many viewed differently from the role the network ultimately gave him. Instead of game analysis, Jordan’s contributions came from five pre-recorded segments split from one interview with Mike Tirico. Then, in late August, Front Office Sports reported Jordan’s role would end after one season.
What They Said: (All quotes via In The Trenches with Damien Woody):
Charles Barkley says NBC Sports oversold Michael Jordan’s presence on the network: “I would love to see him get more involved in the game. I thought that NBC was full of s**t the way they did it. They sold it a little different. Like wait a minute, Michael’s [Jordan] wearing the same clothes for six months. I was like, wait, let me go back and look. Michael’s been wearing the same outfit all season. They sold a bill of goods.”
Charles Barkley says Michael Jordan’s voice should be included in coverage of the NBA: “I would love to see him do that once a month. The questions they were asking him, they probably did the interview in September. There’s a lot of more important stuff they could ask him that’s happening in season. To give him one hour a month would have been a better way to do that instead of saying MJ’s [Jordan] back in the NBA and do one damn interview in September.”
What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear whether or not Jordan will return for any future appearances on network coverage of the NBA. It’s also uncertain if Barkley will stand on his words if this will be the final season of his presence on Inside the NBA.
What It Means: Ultimately, Barkley’s frustration centers on the delivery, not on Jordan himself. Fans expected fresh insight, but they instead got repeated footage from one sit-down. The inclusion of Jordan simply didn’t match the hype his presence commanded. However, for networks, the lesson is simple: a marquee name demands a consistent presence and a more timely one.
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