Michael Jordan made his debut Tuesday night as a special contributor to NBC’s NBA broadcasts, speaking with the network’s Mike Tirico in a one-on-one interview.
During that 3-minute, 20-second segment, Jordan discussed how he now has more time to spend with family and said he hasn’t “picked up a ball in years.”
“It’s amazing,” Jordan said. “You never really know when you’re in the prime of your career how much time you really do not have for family. That’s what I have time to do now. I mean, the most valuable asset I have is time. So that’s probably why you don’t see enough of me, because (of) that time I’m trying to spend with family members and things that I’ve been missing out on for such a long time.”
Jordan said he last picked up a basketball when he attended a Ryder Cup and rented a house for the event. When the homeowner stopped by for a visit, he requested that Jordan shoot one free throw on the property’s basketball court.
“When I stepped up to shoot the free throw, it’s the most nervous I’ve been in years,” Jordan said, as Tirico interjected and expressed disbelief.
“The reason being,” Jordan explained, “is those kids heard the stories from their parents about what I did 30 years ago.” He wanted to fulfill the kids’ expectations.
Jordan swished the shot.
“That made my whole week — that I was able to please that kid, not knowing if I could,” Jordan said.
Jordan said he accepted his role with NBC because he wanted “to pay it forward.”
“I have an obligation to the game of basketball,” Jordan said, adding he wants to “be able to pass on messages of success and dedication to the game.”
“We have an obligation to pay it forward. That’s part of what this is all about.”
Watch Michael Jordan’s first conversation with Mike Tirico in the first edition of MJ: Insights To Excellence. pic.twitter.com/7tfzGm6SpM
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) October 22, 2025
When Tirico asked Jordan if he still loved the sport, Jordan responded: “I love it like you wouldn’t believe. In all honesty, I wish I could take a magic pill, put on shorts and go out and play the game of basketball today, because that’s who I am. That type of competition, that type of competitiveness, is what I live for, and I miss it. I miss that aspect of playing the game of basketball.”
Analyzing Jordan’s appearance
Just having Michael Jordan as part of your sports broadcast network is a massive value-add, given he is so famous that the prospect of making news exists every time he speaks. That’s simply because of the person speaking. There’s also value in being in the Michael Jordan business for any media company.
Now, as for something newsworthy Tuesday night, well, we didn’t exactly get any “stop the presses” moments. We did get an amusing story about Jordan shooting a free throw for the first time in many years, and he also acknowledged that he hasn’t played a competitive game in years.
NBC is clearly going to stretch out these interviews, but one hopeful thought is that, at some point, Jordan will offer opinions on the state of the game and the players playing it. Because that could really be interesting. — Richard Deitsch, media reporter
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