Michael Jordan &x27;unlikely to return&x27; to NBC Sports after NBA backlash David SchneidmanThu, August 27, 2026 at 2:46 PM UTC 0 Michael Jordan is not expected to return to NBC's NBA coverage after appearing in a parttime role last season Credit:NBC Michael Jordan is not expected to return to NBC’s NBA coverage during the 202627 season. Jordan was tabbed as a blockbuster addition to NBC’s studio coverage of the NBA last season, but His Airness only ended up appearing in one sitdown interview, which was then cut up into multiple segments and aired over several nights.
Michael Jordan 'unlikely to return' to NBC Sports after NBA backlash
David SchneidmanThu, August 27, 2026 at 2:46 PM UTC
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Michael Jordan is not expected to return to NBC's NBA coverage after appearing in a part-time role last season -Credit:NBC
Michael Jordan is not expected to return to NBC’s NBA coverage during the 2026-27 season.
Jordan was tabbed as a blockbuster addition to NBC’s studio coverage of the NBA last season, but His Airness only ended up appearing in one sit-down interview, which was then cut up into multiple segments and aired over several nights.
The 63-year-old basketball icon, who many consider to be the greatest player in NBA history, was given the title of ‘special on-air contributor’ on NBC ahead of what was the network’s first season broadcasting the league since 2002.
Following the announcement, many fans believed Jordan would regularly appear on their screens throughout the season, but that did not end up being the case. After it was realized what his role was, Jordan and NBC were the subject of widespread backlash.
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Front Office Sports has now reported that Jordan likely won’t be involved in NBC’s NBA coverage moving forward.
While the possibility of Jordan returning was not entirely ruled out, FOS’ Michael McCarthy wrote, “sources say NBC viewers likely won’t see or hear from basketball’s most famous face during the upcoming campaign.”
NBC will once again play a major role in broadcasting the NBA this year, starting with a triple-header to tip off the 2026-27 season on Oct. 20, which includes a mouth-watering matchup between the reigning champion New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, who added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown this offseason.
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Jordan's contributions on NBC came in the form of pre-taped interview segments -Credit:NBC
All of Jordan’s contributions to NBC last year came in a pre-recorded interview with the network’s lead play-by-play announcer, Mike Tirico.
The segments were titled MJ: Insights To Excellence and featured Jordan’s opinions on current NBA storylines, including load management, as well as nostalgic talking points like the Dream Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics and what it was like playing in Madison Square Garden in the 1990s.
In total, just five segments aired, with each lasting three to four minutes apiece.
Fans who had enjoyed the critically-acclaimed Netflix documentary The Last Dance, which featured extensive interviews with Jordan, were left clamoring for more.
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Jordan’s link with NBC goes well beyond his part-time contributor role last season. In the 1990s, the network aired all six of his NBA championship victories with the Chicago Bulls.
After serving as the league’s primary broadcast partner from 1990 to 2002, NBC did not air NBA games for more than two decades before striking an 11-year rights deal ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Along with ESPN/ABC and Amazon Prime Video, NBC (and its streaming platform Peacock) agreed to a $76 billion deal with the NBA for its broadcast rights through the 2035-26 season.
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Source: Entertainment
Published: August 27, 2026 at 06:00PM on Source: RED MAG
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