Michael Jordan is dragging down NBC's coverage

But load management didn't factor into the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers at all. Despite these teams having the NBA's oldest starting lineup and oldest roster, respectively, the only prominent player who was out was Bradley Beal, who has a back injury.

Michael Jordan is no longer an NBA expert

Michael Jordan knows more about basketball as a game than almost anyone on Earth. That doesn't mean he's up to date on the current NBA, especially after having sold his majority interest in the Charlotte Hornets. In 2025, Jordan is more active in the world of NASCAR than he is with the NBA.

But because he's so famous, and because NBC has committed to his interview segments, Jordan's thoughts drive the narrative of the telecast. Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony engaged in a tedious discussion about their own opposition to load management, ironic because McGrady's career-long back problems were likely exacerbated by playing heavy minutes with the Orlando Magic.

The real problem is that load management had no relevance to the games in NBC's doubleheader. It's hard not to see the 62-year-old Jordan as a cranky retired player complaining about how things were better back in his day.

NBA has the worst of both worlds. They're obligated to having a taped Michael Jordan segment every week, but they have to work off of whatever material came out in the original Tirico interview. Jordan may be a legend, but he's not very interesting as a commentator on the current NBA game, at least not in this format.