More details have emerged about Michael Jordan’s buzzy broadcasting role on NBC as the network welcomes the NBA back to its airwaves this week for the first time in over two decades.
Ahead of Tuesday’s season-opening doubleheader, NBC Sports announced that halftime coverage of the Thunder-Rockets clash — which gets underway at 7:30 p.m. — will feature an interview with the 62-year-old Jordan and play-by-play caller Mike Tirico as part of the six-time NBA champion’s “MJ: Insights to Excellence” series, according to a press release shared Monday.
Set to air “throughout the season,” per the release, “Sunday Night Football” viewers got a peek at the “MJ: Insights to Excellence” segment during the first half of the 49ers’ Week 7 win over the Falcons, which featured Tirico and Jordan chatting across from one another in a casual setting.
Jordan stunned the masses in May when it was announced he would be joining NBC’s coverage of the league as a special contributor, given that he had not shown a desire to be part of the media previously.
Days after Jordan’s union with NBC was revealed, CNBC expanded on what the Chicago Bulls legend’s role could look like, noting “the initial plan is for Jordan to appear in taped segments during the season to provide analysis that will air during pregame shows or halftime shows.
“How that evolves over time is still TBD,” the report continued.
A six-time NBA Finals MVP and a five-time league MVP, Jordan played 15 seasons in the league, primarily for the Bulls, winning six championships with the team in the 1990s.
Jordan pivoted to the NBA front office following his retirement in 2003, becoming a majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets in 2010.
He finalized the sale of a majority stake in the club in 2023.
Beyond the court, Jordan has enjoyed Mediterranean getaways with wife Yvette Prieto, as the couple has largely been photographed overseas in the summer aboard his megayacht.
The NBA announced a new 11-year media rights pact with NBC in the summer of 2024 that would begin with the upcoming season.
Tuesday’s doubleheader will conclude with the Warriors visiting the Lakers at 10 p.m. ET.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
