Michael Jordan, whose rise to championship stature coincided with the beginning of the “NBA on NBC,” is joining the network’s new NBA production as a special contributor.
NBC announced at its upfront presentation Monday that Jordan will serve as a “special contributor” to its NBA coverage that begins later this year, marking the first television role of any significance in Jordan’s decades-long public life. It is not clear what the role will entail.
Jordan was already world-famous by the time NBC began airing the NBA in 1990, but it was during the network’s 12-year run from 1990-2002 that he won all six of his NBA titles.
Since his third and final retirement in 2003, Jordan has largely avoided the spotlight, serving as an owner of the Charlotte Bobcats (later Hornets) and more recently the NASCAR 23XI racing team. He has rarely sat for interviews or discussed the modern game at any length. Rare appearances include his 2009 Hall of Fame Induction and Kobe Bryant’s memorial service in 2020.
NBC is leaning heavily into the echoes of its prior NBA tenure. In addition to the Jordan news, NBC has announced it will use the John Tesh theme music “Roundball Rock” and even an AI-generated version of the late voiceover artist Jim Fagan on its coverage.
It is increasingly common for all-time greats to take on television roles. Wayne Gretzky has been a TNT NHL studio analyst since the network began airing games in 2021 and Tom Brady just finished his first season as the lead FOX NFL game analyst.
