As NBC prepares to return to broadcasting the NBA, arguably the network’s biggest victory is capturing one of sports media’s white whales: Michael Jordan.
The six-time NBA champion and billionaire, who has rarely appeared on broadcasts since retiring, caused a stir when NBC said he would serve as a “special contributor” this season. Details were scarce, however, and the reality was underwhelming for many fans.
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Jordan’s special contribution only included a sit-down discussion with NBC’s Mark Tirico to discuss his thoughts on the game of basketball. Each “MJ: Superior Insight” segment is from the same interview, taped before the season, so no topics are announced.
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Tirico addressed the reception of the clips during an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traner on his podcast that aired Thursday, confirming that they all came from the same interview. The veteran broadcaster estimated the entire interview lasted between 1 hour and 40 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes.
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He makes it very clear who is driving the conversation:
“Is there a lot you want to talk about? Absolutely, but Michael really wants to talk about his thoughts on the game right now, and we haven’t heard a lot of it. So it’s interesting, it’s interesting, it’s a good perspective.
“My takeaway is that he still cares deeply about the game. He loves the game, but in some ways, doesn’t like certain directions in the game, and he wants to talk about it.”
The NBC interview is just one of Michael Jordan’s weapons. (Photo by Bank of Jordan/Getty Images)
(Bank of Jordan, Getty Images)
To be fair, NBC never showed Jordan taking on a Charles Barkley-esque role, commentating on the latest games and news throughout the season. Tirico still seems aware that there are some unhappy customers out there, noting that anything is better than nothing:
“Is this what everyone wants? Probably not. Is this better than not hearing from Michael Jordan? You’re right. If we had another chance, I would be super excited to be a part of it? You bet. 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 down and do something that he hasn’t done in a long, long time.”
Tirico also confirmed that no further interviews with Jordan will be scheduled, so any other programming NBC airs will be from the same timeslot. He did note the possibility of another interview and said he’s open to anything the legend wants to do, although this arrangement appears to be a one-and-done deal for both parties.
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Otherwise, the NBA’s return to NBC appears to be going well, with the league’s national ratings rising significantly after moving from the TNT cable channel to one of the major broadcast networks.
