Michael Jordan’s sudden presence in sports media has broken a lot of people’s brains.
Brady Quinn theorized that Jordan joined NBC Sports as a “special contributor” to beat LeBron James to the punch and get ahead of the ever-evolving G.O.A.T. narrative. Everyone has a theory. But everyone is also shocked. Charles Barkley is shook. Dominique Wilkins is, too.
While Jordan won’t be calling games nor will he be behind the desk in-studio, he’ll still contribute. NBC Sports is still figuring out the specifics of Jordan’s role, as the NBA returns to the network for the first time in 23 years. But people will be paying attention. That includes Wilkins, who says he and MJ have a “quiet respect” for one another.
Wilkins pulls double duty for the Hawks. He’s the team’s vice president of basketball operations and their longtime color analyst. He’s spent the last 16 years in the booth alongside play-by-play voice Bob Rathbun on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.
But even with all that experience — and all those battles with Jordan — this move still blindsided him.
“I was shocked. And I know this: if Jordan is doing this, it’s got to be a huge payday,” Wilkins told Kyle Odegard of eSports Insider. “Huge. I’ve seen some of the rumors (on pay) and it’s like, ‘I get it.'”
Wilkins might be surprised, but he’s still curious to see what Jordan brings to the table, even if it’s just pre-taped segments.
“I love it, because we’re going to see another aspect of basketball from the greatest to ever do it,” Wilkins adds. “How would you combat that? Like, how would you question his outlook on the game? It’s going to be interesting. They are going to hear it from a guy who has done it on a level that only a few get a chance to achieve.”
If Jordan’s doing it, it’s big, and he’s not doing it for free. People will listen when Jordan talks.
That quiet respect means this won’t be a sideshow.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.