When NBC won the media rights to the NBA for the 2025-2026 season, the network announced that it was bringing in Michael Jordan for an undisclosed role. The thought of having His Airness back in some capacity in the current basketball landscape made fans excited. However, Jordan’s role has been limited to a lone interview conducted several months ago.
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NBC has been milking the interview by dropping tiny 2-5 minute snippets from it now and then to maximize their MJ content across multiple platforms. It has certainly rubbed a plethora of people the wrong way, including Charles Barkley.
During a recent interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Chuck, who obviously has a history with the Bulls legend, admitted that he was truly excited to see that Jordan was coming back into the limelight. But seeing how things have played out, he’s calling out NBC for misleading everyone.
“I was excited. We need Michael Jordan affiliated with the NBA. But now you see this thing coming out with NBC, and you’re like, ‘Wait. Y’all did one interview like five months ago, and y’all gonna sprinkle it throughout the season?’ Come on, man. That’s disengenuous by NBC,” said the Hall of Famer.
“I’m so disappointed that the way that worked out. I talked to NBC. NBC actually offered me a contract. That’s just…it’s a bad look for NBC. It’s just a bad look, plain and simple,” he added.
Barkley is right on the money, pointing out that Jordan is not just a random basketball legend. MJ was, and probably still is, bigger than the NBA.
“It’s just a bad look. Plain and simple”
Charles Barkley shares his thoughts with @TermineRadio & @JumpShot8 on NBC Sports’ Michael Jordan content.
NBA Today | Weekdays 4–7p ET on SiriusXM & the @NBA App https://t.co/U91Jb62Hxo pic.twitter.com/PUUkXq9Qyj
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) January 28, 2026
Jordan is, arguably, the most important athlete who ever lived alongside Muhammad Ali or Serena Williams. And what Jordan says matters.
So when a network promises to involve him, there is a certain level of expectation. Chuck isn’t wrong on that. And seeing how Jordan has been utilized so far reveals two truths.
NBC probably paid him a substantial amount of money for very little, and even if there is something more than just the one interview, it will not be that significant.
That’s really where the frustration arises from. In an era where fans already feel oversold on everything from superteams to streaming packages, dangling Jordan as a centerpiece and then barely delivering comes off as lazy at best and misleading at worst.
MJ doesn’t need the exposure, and the NBA doesn’t need a nostalgia gimmick. But the audience does deserve honesty.
If Jordan is just an occasional voice, say that. If he’s going to be part of the fabric of the coverage, show it. Otherwise, all NBC has done is remind people that even the greatest name in basketball can’t cover up a rollout that feels half-baked.
