MIKE ON MIC? That was the news that reverberated around the basketball world this week, amid the craziness of the second round of the NBA play-offs. In case you missed it, Michael Jordan, ‘his airness’, arguably (in the most vehement sense of that word) the GOAT, the richest athlete of all time (RAOAT) and owner of the most culturally resonant shoe brand in history, will be joining NBC’s NBA coverage next year.
The news took hoops fans completely by surprise and immediately led to speculation as to what Jordan’s role would entail. Would he be doing sideline commentary, or expert analysis, like Tom Brady in the NFL? Would he do studio spots? Heck, would he debase himself by engaging in heated tête-à-têtes with the gassed-up talking heads who populate US sporting media today?
Nobody really knew, though most fans agreed, the prospect of Michael Jordan critiquing the games of modern stars, like Ant Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is a mouthwatering prospect. As the week wore on, a little more context around Jordan’s proposed role emerged. Rather than live spots, it appears MJ will be doing taped segments.
“The role is still nebulous,” wrote Alex Sherman of CNBC. “I’m told the initial plan is for Jordan to appear in taped segments during the season to provide analysis that will air during pregame shows or halftime shows. How that evolves over time is still TBD.”
But while the exact nature of the role is still being fleshed out, the real question is why? Why would a man who already resides in hoops heaven, deign to come down and mix with mortals? Indeed, you could argue that much of Jordan’s mystique and the mythology that surrounds him, is built on his relative elusiveness – he rarely gives interviews and his thoughts on modern players remain largely unknown.
Is there a danger then, that for a man who so assiduously guards his legacy, exposure to his inner thoughts, his pet peeves, biases and blind spots, risks diminishing his allure? What if he comes off as a Boomer, or worse, a drunk uncle hectoring young stars with cringey ‘in my day’ or ‘get off my lawn’ rants that induce collective shoulder shrugging from millennials and Zoomers who worship another god – LeBron James – and think Ant Edwards would dust Jordan in a game of one-on-one.
It would seem there’s a lot for Jordan to lose and precious little to gain by becoming a talking head. But the man must have his reasons. Here’s an exhaustive list of potential motivations that might help explain why the GOAT would want to become a gabber.
He wants to stay culturally relevant
Many young hoops fans today never saw Jordan play. They know him solely from highlights clips on social media or from The Last Dance documentary. If Jordan is going to continue to lead the GOAT debate – in a poll of current players conducted last year by The Athletic, Jordan was voted the GOAT over James by 45.9% of the players to 42.1%, a much narrower margin than previous polls – he needs the younger generation to buy into his legacy. If players know Jordan will be publicly giving his thoughts on their games, perhaps they’ll be more likely to nominate him in the next poll.
Someone said he couldn’t do it
Jordan’s competitiveness is legendary. This is a man who would pitch pennies against a wall with his entourage to kill time before games just to scratch his competitive itch. If someone in his circle (you would expect this group to be Greek-Chorus-cackling yes men, but anyway) had the temerity to suggest he wouldn’t be a good commentator or analyst, history shows Jordan would be unable to resist trying to prove them wrong – kind of like how Marty McFly can’t resist doing something stupid if someone calls him “Chicken” in Back to the Future.
But Jordan should tread carefully here. Tom Brady’s mixed reviews as a colour commentator in the NFL offer a note of caution. Just because you were the very best at playing a game, doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to be any good at talking about it. Jordan, at least, does have some level of self-awareness. He’s previously acknowledged that his hyper-competitiveness and exacting standards make him ill-suited to coaching, for example. But could those qualities be useful behind the mic? In his playing days Jordan was a thoughtful, expansive and frequently insightful interviewee. He was charming as a guest on The Tonight Show, and even in horrifically puffy interviews with Oprah. Perhaps he now means to become the greatest ever at shooting taped segments, all because someone idly said he couldn’t.
Someone bet he couldn’t do it
Alongside his competitiveness, the other thing Jordan is historically known for is his inability to resist a punt. Stories of him playing craps at Atlantic City during play-off series, are well established in MJ lore. There are also the numerous gambling debts – many accrued on the golf course – that he owed to various unsavoury characters back in the ’90s, as well as reports the NBA investigated his wagering activities while he was playing. If you go deep enough down a Reddit rabbit hole, you’ll find conspiracy theories explaining that the real reason Jordan retired from the game after three straight titles in 1993 was because commissioner David Stern made him. Perhaps someone in Jordan’s circle bet Jordan that he couldn’t make it as a commentator.
He’s sick of the Ant Edwards comparisons?
During last year’s NBA play-offs, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ charismatic, hyper-athletic star Anthony Edwards’ play invited comparisons with Jordan. Some even suggested Edwards could be MJ’s illegitimate son – this was a theory, from deep in the basement of hoops forums, that has previously been applied to Jimmy Butler. Perhaps Jordan wants to douse these odious comparisons before they can take root: “Anthony Edwards played a heck of a game today. I wouldn’t compare him to anyone in particular, but the kid certainly has a bright future”.
His golf game is beginning to slip
Jordan has loved golf since his playing days, where he regularly hit the links between play-off games, some speculating that he ended play-off series early just so he could hit the greens. Before the 1992 Olympics gold medal game against Spain, Jordan reportedly played 36 holes – after staying up all night playing poker – only managing to grab an hour or so of sleep before the game, in which he led the team to victory. But he’s now 62, and his handicap – he reportedly plays off 1.9 – probably isn’t getting any better from here. He has found success in NASCAR, as co-owner of the 23XI racing team, however the team has recently been embroiled in a lawsuit with the organisation, so perhaps that, too, no longer holds the appeal it once did.
He’s bored
There’s only so much time you can lounge around on superyachts or go deep-sea fishing. Jordan’s twin daughters with his second wife, Yvette Prieto, are now aged 11 and likely don’t need him as much as they once did. I mean, what’s he supposed to do, gardening?
He’s sick of Scottie Pippen bad-mouthing him
Since The Last Dance, there’s been bad blood between Jordan and his Bulls’ running mate, Pippen, who felt he was unfairly maligned in the doco. Jordan now has a platform to respond to Pippen’s petty attacks, along with those of old Pistons rival, Isaiah Thomas, who he’s long had beef with. He could use his NBC gig to mend fences with old friend Charles Barkley, who will also be on the station next season. The pair fell out after Barkley criticised Jordan’s appointment of family members while owner of the Charlotte Hornets. But don’t hold your breath.
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He wants to get out of the house
Many men of Jordan’s vintage like to escape domestic and marital chains by retreating to the golf course. As discussed, Jordan’s already explored that avenue, so perhaps commentary offers another outlet, saving him from Yvette’s exasperated exhortations to pick up his towel and take out the trash.
He’s having a three-quarter-life crisis
We’re all living longer and, as health span begins to catch up to life span, you can expect more men in their 60s and 70s to plunge into the bottomless search for meaning that previously afflicted those in their 40s and 50s. For a man who already possesses the accoutrements we associate with middle-aged male malaise – sports cars, super yachts – a new gig on TV could be Jordan’s version of doing a triathlon.
He really loves basketball
This is the guy who had a ‘love of the game’ clause written into his contract. He famously became an objectively bad owner of the Charlotte Hornets. In between retirements he often showed up to gyms to embarrass randoms or mercilessly took out fawning participants in games of one-on-one at his basketball camps. If he can no longer play to a level he’s comfortable with, talking about the game might be the next best thing.
$$
NBC is no doubt paying Jordan a pretty penny – some of which he’ll no doubt piss away against studio walls with his lackeys between takes – and is the most obvious reason Jordan might step behind the mic. But for a man already worth $3.5 billion USD, the incentive seems low.
All or none of the above
Who really knows. Jordan’s decision could be meticulously calculated – befitting his legend – or a mere whim. Until we hear otherwise, let’s adhere to the theory of Occam’s Razor that the most likely explanation is the correct one: someone said he couldn’t do it.