Basketball legend Michael Jordan made a rare television appearance on Tuesday evening and confessed he still yearns for the competitiveness that once drove his illustrious career, whilst also revealing the “obligation” that brought him back to our screens. During his first appearance on NBC’s ‘MJ: Insights to Excellence,’ broadcast at half-time during the Thunder-Rockets season opener, the six-time NBA champion revealed he wishes he could “take a magic pill” to experience his playing days once more.
The 62-year-old sporting icon hung up his boots for the third and final time in 2003 following a remarkable 15-season career that saw him clinch six championships with the Chicago Bulls, claim five MVP awards, and secure two Olympic gold medals. He reached another financial landmark in August 2023 after offloading his stake in the Charlotte Hornets.
“In all honesty, I wish I could take a magic pill, put on shorts and go out and play the game of basketball today,” Jordan revealed during his chat with NBC presenter Mike Tirico. “That type of competition, that type of competitiveness is what I live for. And I miss it.”
Throughout the programme, the basketball icon acknowledged he hasn’t touched a basketball “in a long time,” yet insisted his passion for the sport burns as fiercely as ever. “I love it like you wouldn’t believe,” he declared.
“I miss that aspect of playing basketball – being able to challenge myself against what people see as great basketball. But it’s better for me to be sitting here talking to you, as opposed to popping my Achilles and ending up in a wheelchair for a while.”
Basketball legend Michael Jordan made his NBC debut in the first episode of ‘MJ: Insights to Excellence,’ a new segment set to feature throughout the 2025-26 season as part of NBC’s return to NBA coverage.
NBC, which broadcasted some of the league’s most iconic moments during the 1980s and 1990s, is back as an official partner for the first time in over two decades.
When asked about his decision to step back into the limelight, Jordan insisted it wasn’t about money but rather a sense of duty.
“We have an obligation to pay it forward,” he stated. “I have the obligation to the game of basketball – not financially, I’m okay. But as a basketball player, it’s about passing on messages of success and dedication to the game.”
The Hall of Famer also opened up about his low-key life post-retirement, revealing that he has intentionally kept a low profile to spend more quality time with his family.
“You never really know – when you’re in the prime of your career – how much time you don’t have for family,” Jordan admitted. “The most valuable asset I have is time.
“That’s probably why you don’t see enough of me. Because that time, I’m trying to spend with family and things I missed out on for such a long time.”