The NBA Finals is tied at a game apiece, meaning we only have three to five games of NBA basketball left this season. Even when the confetti falls and Adam Silver hands out the Larry O’Brien Trophy, though, basketball fans still have much to look forward to.
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Some of the top players in the league could be on the move this summer, from Giannis Antetokounmpo to Kevin Durant. Cooper Flagg will be making his much-anticipated pro debut, almost certainly for the Dallas Mavericks, later this summer. The NBA on NBC will make its triumphant return, and the network has an ace in the hole: the arrival of His Airness, Michael Jordan.
MJ has kept himself out of the limelight as much as one possibly can since retiring. While he was the majority owner of the Bobcats/Hornets for 13 years, he mostly stayed in the shadows, rarely giving interviews or appearing on camera.
Jordan was the most ruthless competitor the game has ever seen, but some fans are worried that he may not bring that same intensity as a broadcaster. Part of that fear stems from watching Tom Brady, a fellow GOAT, struggle in his first year with the NFL on Fox, but it’s mostly because we just haven’t heard MJ share his thoughts on the league in quite a while. Does he still have his fastball?
Stephen A. Smith was on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast recently, and he was adamant that there’s nothing to worry about. “He’s going to be brutally honest, oh I can assure you that,” Stephen A. said. “The Michael Jordan I know, when talking basketball, he is as candid as it gets. He ain’t trying to hurt nobody’s feelings, he ain’t trying to be insulting, but he’s going to tell you what’s going on.”
Michael Jordan might single-handedly save the NBA’s ratings
There’s been a lot of hand-wringing over the NBA’s declining ratings in recent years, but Stephen A. explained how that’s all a bit overblown.
“Don’t believe everything you read,” Stephen A. said. “NBA Countdown on ESPN, our ratings are up … Number two, linear television is one component. More eyeballs are transitioning to digital.” He drove that point home by pointing out, “There’s a reason why Amazon has now replaced TNT.”
The First Take host is correct that viewership and interest in the NBA may be higher than ever, but ratings do still matter. There are a lot of NBA fans from the 1990s that may not follow the game so ardently anymore, but will be brought back by the chance to hear MJ give his thoughts on the state of the game and today’s players.
Just as he carried the league in the post-Magic/Bird era, Jordan has the opportunity to make an enormous impact with his very presence. That will get people watching early on, and if Stephen A. is right and MJ brings the heat with his commentary, they’re sure to stick around long-term.
Bringing Jordan on is an expensive move for NBC, as his $40 million salary is even higher than what Fox is paying Brady, but it has the potential to pay off in a huge way. We’re not trying to rush this fascinating Finals or what looks to be an incredible NBA summer along, but we can’t wait until the familiar strains of Roundball Rock are playing and Michael Jordan is back on our TVs.
