“It’s a Bad Look”: Charles Barkley Slams NBC’s Michael Jordan Interview

When NBC won the media rights to the NBA for the 2025-2026 season, one of the big announcements was that the network was bringing in Michael Jordan in an undisclosed role. While many believed that His Airness wouldn’t be committing a lot of time to the situation, having him back in the current basketball landscape was a hook for many fans.

And so far? Well, it hasn’t been much other than a lone interview conducted with the six-time NBA Champion several months ago. NBC has been milking the interview by dropping tiny 2-5 minute snippets from it every now and then to maximize their MJ content across multiple platforms. It’s not a bad idea in a vacuum, but it certainly rubbed a plethora of people the wrong way, including Charles Barkley.

The b-ball legend spoke about his unhappiness with the situation during a recent interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio. Chuck, who obviously has a history with Michael, 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 pointing a finger of judgment at NBC for being misleading.

“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,” barked 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. While Barkley’s views are always up for debate, he’s right on the money in this situation.

Michael Jordan is not just a random basketball legend, nor is he a Kendrick Perkins type who became a famous personality for his hot takes on the game. MJ was, and probably still is, bigger than the NBA. The most important athlete who ever lived alongside Muhammad Ali or Serena Williams. What Jordan says, matters.

So when a network promises to involve him, there is a certain expectation. Chuck isn’t wrong on that. And seeing how he’s been utilized thus far speaks two truths. That NBC probably paid him a TON of money for very little, and that even if there is something more than just the one interview, it will be minutely more.

That’s really where the frustration lives. In an era where fans already feel oversold on everything from superteams to streaming packages, dangling Michael 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.