Michael Jordan’s contributions to the NBA coverage on NBC have been lacking.
The GOAT’s addition to the lineup for his “MJ: Insights to Excellence” segment has been one single long-form interview with Mike Tirico, with clips shown throughout the season — leaving fans who wanted to hear from the six-time NBA champion on the league’s current events unfulfilled.
“Was it what everyone wanted? Probably not,” Tirico said on “SI Media with Jimmy Traina” this week. “Was it better than not hearing from Michael Jordan? You’re damn right it was. And if we get another shot at it, will I be more than excited to be a part of it? You betcha. In our world right now, all you want to do is make the final answer before you know everything. I love that Michael trusted us enough to sit and do something that he hasn’t done in a long, long, long time.”
The issue, however, is that Jordan was pitched to fans and viewers as a “special contributor,” a role that would seemingly include more than one two-hour interview filmed over two days months ago.
There is no doubt that basketball fans want to hear from Jordan, a six-time NBA Finals MVP, five-time NBA MVP, 14-time All-Star and 10-time scoring champ.
He is a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets and his Jordan Brand remains a major part of the league’s culture.
“Every time one airs, people say, ‘Oh, this is from the same interview.’ But they also talk about what he said,” Tirico said. “It starts a topic of conversation. His voice still resonates.”
Tirico confirmed that there are no plans for a second interview with the 62-year-old at this point.
“Nothing scheduled as of now that I know of, but it is a possibility,” he said. “I hope there’s something else after it. Michael was awesome.”
