Dust off your vintage Bulls jerseys and cue the Space Jam soundtrack—because Michael Jordan is officially stepping back onto the court… well, sort of. He’s not dunking, but he’s definitely talking about dunking.
That’s right. As of May 12, MJ—aka His Airness, aka the Man Who Made Tongue-Out Layups a Personality Trait—is joining NBC Sports as a “special contributor” for their NBA coverage this fall. Translation: He’s getting paid to share his thoughts while sitting courtside in very expensive sneakers. Goals.
In a video that looked like it was shot with a flip phone from 2002 (for nostalgia, obviously), the 62-year-old basketball icon said, “I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC.” He didn’t cry like at his Hall of Fame speech, but we felt the emotion.
“The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career,” he continued, probably while watching replays of himself dropping 45 on the Knicks with one shoe untied. “I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project.”
TL;DR: The man is BACK, baby. Sort of. With a microphone this time.
And if you’re wondering why now, well, it just so happens that NBC is making a dramatic comeback after a 23-year nap from NBA coverage. Yes, the last time NBC aired a basketball game, LeBron was in high school and TikTok was just the sound a clock made.
NBC previously held NBA rights from 1990 to 2002, aka the golden years when Jordan won six rings, wore an endless supply of dad jeans, and basically made “NBA on NBC” appointment television for anyone with a pulse. Now, NBC and the NBA are rekindling the romance with an 11-year agreement that covers both the NBA and WNBA (let’s go!).
And that’s not all! Here’s what your NBA viewing future looks like:
- Monday Nights: Exclusive NBA games on Peacock. No cable? No problem. Just log in, ignore the login failures, and you’re golden.
- Tuesdays: Double the basketball, double the chaos with regional matchups on both NBC and Peacock.
- January 2026: Say hello to “Sunday Night Basketball.” It’s like “Sunday Night Football,” but with more sneakers and slightly less CTE.
So get ready for MJ to bring his legendary side-eye, sneaker game, and iconic smirk to NBC. If we’re lucky, he might even say, “And I took that personally” once or twice on air.
NBC is back. Jordan is back. And so are our 90s basketball dreams. Somebody cue up that John Tesh “Roundball Rock” theme song and let’s ride. 🏀
A legendary addition to our team!
We’re thrilled to welcome Michael Jordan as a special contributor to the NBA on NBC and Peacock. pic.twitter.com/Pjsq8tokfi
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) May 12, 2025