Michael Jordan is reportedly not expected to return to NBC Sports NBA coverage next season. According to Front Office Sports, Jordan’s debut into sports media will likely only last one season.
What We Know: NBC signed Jordan as a “special on-air contributor” before the 2025-2026 season. It marked his first real basketball TV appearance since ESPN’s 2020 documentary, The Last Dance. His interview with Mike Tirico ran in segments throughout the entire calendar year. Jordan did not appear live on any NBC Sports’ NBA programming last season. According to Front Office Sports, NBC has declined comment on the matter.
What’s At Stake: Michael Jordan’s entry into sports media with NBC Sports was seen by many as a giant failure. A singular taped interview that was spread across the network’s entire season did not meet the hype that was expected with Jordan. To NBC’s credit, they were very quiet about expectation of what Jordan would bring coming into last season.
What Remains Unclear: NBC Sports has not confirmed the reporting by Front Office Sports.
What It Means: NBC loses a rare, high-wattage voice in its NBA return last season. Then again, the arrangement of content was no where near what the hype for Jordan’s entry into media was expected by many to be. Jordan’s presence drew attention beyond typical hoops coverage, but didn’t land with many longtime basketball fans. Without him, NBC leans harder on the on-court product itself.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.