NBA Reacts to Big Michael Jordan News on Monday

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

NBA Reacts to Big Michael Jordan News on Monday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated May 12, 2025 5:14 PM ET

On a huge Monday around The Association featuring the NBA Draft Lottery, Game 4 of the Boston Celtics-New York Knicks series and Game 4 of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Golden State Warriors series, it was Michael Jordan who caught the attention of the NBA out of nowhere.

NBC announced that Jordan will be a "special contributor" to the NBA on NBC and Peacock starting in the 2025-2026 season.

NBC is part of the league’s new 11-year, $76 billion broadcast deal beginning next season, under which it will share broadcast rights with with Amazon Prime Video and ABC/ESPN. The network was a rights holder during Jordan's six NBA Finals runs with the Chicago Bulls, but it has not carried games since 2002.

The network also recently revealed that it will bring back the iconic "Roundball Rock" anthem and televise live player intros from the arena, staples of their coverage during Jordan's prime in the 1990s.

The NBA was as excited as the fans on Monday when the news came out. The league dropped an all-caps message on its official social media channels in response to NBC's announcement.

"AIR JORDAN ON THE AIR NEXT SEASON," NBA wrote to its 48.2 million followers on X.

AIR JORDAN ON THE AIR NEXT SEASON https://t.co/Ghp3pXxJIc
— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2025

"I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC,” Jordan said of the announcement. “The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I’m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October.”

The NBC package will include the All-Star Game, Monday nights exclusively on Peacock, Tuesday games on NBC and Sunday nights. Mike Tirico will be the lead play-by-play voice with Reggie Miller joining as an analyst from TNT.

Carmelo Anthony as a studio analyst was thought to be the biggest coup for NBC — but nobody draws a reaction like Air Jordan.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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