{"id":1929006,"date":"2026-05-11T09:50:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T06:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1929006"},"modified":"2026-05-11T09:50:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T06:50:31","slug":"nbc-touted-michael-jordans-participation-in-its-nba-revival-the-reality-fizzled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1929006","title":{"rendered":"NBC touted Michael Jordan\u2019s participation in its NBA revival. The reality fizzled"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The iconic Chicago Bulls 1990s intro music from The Alan Parsons Project filled Radio City Music Hall during NBC\u2019s \u201cupfronts\u201d a year ago, the annual event where networks try to energize advertisers to spend with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cFroooom North Carolina, at guard, 6-6, Michael Jordan,\u201d the voice of PA announcer Ray Clay boomed.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An NBC press release followed with the headline, \u201cMichael Jordan To Join NBC Sports\u2019 NBA Coverage<\/a> As Special Contributor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

In the release, Jordan said, \u201cI am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC. The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I\u2019m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Jordan did one interview with Mike Tirico that NBC spliced<\/a> over a few pregames and halftimes. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n

In the TV history of nothingburgers, this has been one of the nothingest. Besides the one interview, it\u2019s been a huge \u201cDNP \u2014 Legend\u2019s Decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

And there is a little more, as NBC has gotten dunked on by other networks\u2019 face time with His Airness.<\/p>\n

Jordan, who co-owns NASCAR\u2019s 23XI, has been interviewed on Fox seven times this year at races \u2014 often catching him in a giddy mood after victories<\/a> \u2014 while CBS also had a morning sit-down with him. Granted, he was not talking NBA, but it has not been a good look for NBC.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

{“endpoint”:”https:\/\/api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com\/graphql”}<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very happy with everything Michael did with us,\u201d NBC Sports\u2019 executive vice president of communications Greg Hughes told The Athletic<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The lack of of \u201cAir Jordan\u201d hasn\u2019t ruined NBC\u2019s first season, but it\u2019s been a letdown on its overall strong return to showing the league\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

Led by Tirico, Noah Eagle and Maria Taylor and little tributes to yesteryear, like showing the starting lineups, the NBA on NBC has felt big<\/a>. A real contribution from Jordan and it would be in another galaxy.<\/p>\n

Jordan and NBC apparently are still talking about Jordan doing some more, maybe with hoops, possibly with NASCAR. He couldn\u2019t do much less.<\/p>\n

Jordan\u2019s lack of airtime was sort of predictable. While a very good idea by NBC, its executives weren\u2019t the first to try to recruit No. 23 to a mic. He has never done it.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Even last year\u2019s announcement lacked a little something \u2014 Jordan wasn\u2019t in the room for the presentation.<\/p>\n

While the stylish intro with the \u201990s Bulls\u2019 flashback surely gave the Gen X ad executives goose bumps, the fact that Jordan couldn\u2019t make the private jet trip up and back from Carolina that Monday was the first sign that this was a bun with no meat in it.<\/p>\n

The interview with Tirico was presented as \u201cMJ: Insights into Excellence\u201d and wasn\u2019t bad. He gave us this view on load management<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t be needed,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cI never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove. The fans are there to watch me play. I want to impress that guy, way up on top, who probably worked his ass off to get a ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was part of what made Jordan probably the greatest basketball player of all time. However, it seems obvious he just doesn\u2019t have that same desire for TV. There is no real proof that he even follows the current game that closely.<\/p>\n

At Radio City last year, it was exciting that Jordan would be a special contributor to the network\u2019s return to the NBA. His role was always ambiguous, with NBC declining to give any real details. Fans were excited to watch and listen to him.<\/p>\n

As a TV personality, Jordan doesn\u2019t have the desire to never miss an opportunity to prove himself. For NBC this season, he never really showed up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The iconic Chicago Bulls 1990s intro music from The Alan Parsons Project filled Radio City Music Hall during NBC\u2019s \u201cupfronts\u201d a year ago, the annual event where networks try to energize advertisers to spend with them. \u201cFroooom North Carolina, at guard, 6-6, Michael Jordan,\u201d the voice of PA announcer Ray Clay boomed. Advertisement An NBC […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1929006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1929006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929006\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1929006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1929006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1929006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}