Charles Barkley isn’t holding back his disappointment over Michael Jordan’s NBC appearances this season. Fans had eagerly awaited the NBA legend’s insights on modern basketball as the network returned to airing games in 2025-26, but what aired left many underwhelmed.
Barkley, speaking candidly, called the arrangement “disingenuous” and criticized NBC, claiming the rollout didn’t live up to the hype surrounding the six-time NBA Finals champion.
Former NBA player Charles Barkley said this regarding Michael Jordan’s NBC deal
Charles Barkley, whose relationship with Michael Jordan has cooled over the years, expressed frustration on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “I was excited to have Michael because Michael Jordan is the reason we all make this money from the NBA,” he said. He added, “But now you see this thing coming out with NBC… one interview five months ago, and you’re all gonna sprinkle it throughout the season? Come on, man. That’s disingenuous by NBC. That’s crazy.”
Barkley didn’t mince words about how the network handled the coverage. “It’s a bad look for NBC, it’s just a bad look, plain and simple. They couldn’t fly to Michael like once a month and do a new interview? That makes NBC look really bad,” he added, emphasizing his disappointment in the setup. ( via Awful Announcing)
Michael Jordan’s appearance was restricted to a single pre-recorded segment, MJ: Insights to Excellence, which ran across a few shows. While it offered some interesting takes, a lot of fans were hoping for deeper commentary on the state of today’s game. Host Mike Tirico defended the setup, saying Jordan “really wanted to talk about where he sees the game right now,” adding that viewers still got to hear his perspective, even if it wasn’t as in-depth as expected.
Tirico noted that Jordan’s love for basketball really shone through. He loves the game, and in some ways, he’s not a fan of where it’s headed, and he wanted to share that, Tirico said. Tirico also acknowledged that while the segment might not have satisfied every fan craving MJ insight, it was still special to hear from the legend himself. Tirico also hinted that future appearances could give fans even more of the coverage they’re hoping for.
