The NBA world was excited to hear that Michael Jordan may be making yet another return to the NBA. However, this time, as a part of the media instead of a player or owner. NBC announced that Jordan will be a 'special contributor' in their NBA coverage from next season.
Ofcourse, at age 62, one would not expect Jordan to return as a player. But this turned out to be very contrary to the public perception that Jordan likes to keep away from the public eye and doesn't like to make public appearances. Moreover, since in 2023, he sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, people assumed Jordan wanted to take a break from the game.
Now, a new report has emerged that suggests Jordan will only do taped segments as a part of his deal with NBC. The deal announcement did not clearly explain Jordan's role with NBC, and the report's author, Alex Sherman, claims, "There’s a reason for that – the role is still nebulous. But, fair reader, I’m here to serve. I’m told 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 deal with Jordan was orchestrated by longtime NBC Sports executive Jon Miller, who has a decades-long relationship with MJ.
Therefore, Jordan will still not be open to tackling unplanned questions and unscripted incidents in the game. After all, he hasn't become a different person overnight. However, all credit goes to Jon Miller for making this deal happen.
How Michael Jordan And NBA Media Reacted To His Partnership With NBC
After the deal was announced, Michael Jordan also publicly acknowledged this partnership with NBC. He said, "I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC. The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I’m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October."
Following his reaction, the NBA media contemplated the nature of Jordan's role with NBC. Stephen A. suggested Jordan should appear on the show while smoking his cigar, whereas Nick Wright jokingly suggested that NBC should make MJ their gambling expert.
However, now we finally have some clarity that nothing will be unscripted on his segment. After the release of the 'The Last Dance' documentary, Jordan received backlash as his brand Jump 23 had co-produced it. That meant he had a final say in what went into the documentary and what was cut out. Hopefully, this time, he won't receive as much backlash as he did from his teammates.
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