Michael Jordan’s new role could shake up NBA TV forever

The NBA is back on NBC this fall and the network has wasted no time bringing back the nostalgia from its coverage heyday in the 1990s. While the news that Roundball Rock is coming back is going to be fun, NBC scored a major coup by securing the services of one Michael Jordan to be a part of its team of NBA analysts.

While NBC already has a strong roster of NBA talent joining its team like Reggie Miller and Carmelo Anthony, no one has bigger cachet than Jordan, who is widely considered to be one of (if not the) greatest basketball players of all time. Jordan has largely stayed out of the spotlight since he retired for the final time in 2003, owning the Charlotte Hornets for a while and famously telling his story in ESPN's "The Last Dance", which covered the Bulls' dynasty through the lens of the 1997-98 season.

NBC's plans for Michael Jordan's NBA coverage

In a press release that coincided with the announcement, NBC defined Jordan's role with the network as a "special contributor". While there weren't any specific details as to what that role entails, it would make sense that Jordan doesn't want to be a regular presence in the studio for NBA coverage since he has a lot of business interests outside of basketball.

Expect NBC to have Jordan involved in some capacity for big games, like their first night of coverage and potential postseason matchups. Jordan has shown the ability to be highly entertaining when he wants to be, as seen by his commentary throughout "The Last Dance", and having someone with Jordan's resume on NBC's coverage is a big win for the NBA as a whole.

Basketball fans will undoubtedly be thrilled to hear from Jordan again as he has gained an almost mythical status after largely removing himself from the public eye for nearly two decades. Time will tell how much insight Jordan will be providing NBC over the course of the 2025-26 season as well as potentially beyond.