NBC taps NBA legend as special correspondent as network gears up for NBA fall takeover

If NBC was looking to make a splash hire for studio coverage when the NBA returns to the network this fall, they couldn't have found a bigger or better NBA superstar to aid their league coverage. According to a report from Deadline, Michael Jordan, the Greatest of All Time to many, is joining NBC as a special correspondent.

The news was announced during NBCUniversal's upfronts presentation for the 2025-2026 Fall/Winter schedule. The NBA is returning to NBC this fall on Tuesday nights throughout the entire NBA season. It's a huge shift in programming for the network, getting into the NBA game again decades after losing the rights to the league.

Jordan reportedly appeared at the event via video and shared that he's excited to be a part of the NBA returning to NBC. The NBA games will also stream on Peacock, as well.

NBC and Peacock tweeted a hype video for Jordan's introduction.

We don't know exactly what role Jordan will have on NBC's NBA coverage, but I have to assume he's going to be doing on-camera analysis at times, similar to what Inside The NBA has been for TNT and will be for ESPN and ABC with Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal. I do not expect to see Jordan in-studio every Tuesday night. I don't know why he would do that when he's already making so much money, but hey, we'll see!

I'm super excited for Jordan to be much more visible in the world of NBA basketball. As one of the greatest players of all time, Jordan's insight is definitely welcome in the NBA media landscape, especially with the type of competitor he is. As an NBA fan, I definitely want to hear what Jordan has to say about the game.

It's great to see NBC making huge moves to facilitate its NBA coverage. This is obviously a huge opportunity for the network to own another night of the week with live sports. NBC obviously owns Sunday night with Sunday Night Football. Having NBA games on one of the Big Four broadcast networks during the week is something that has the potential to grow the league's exposure in significant ways.

The move isn't without risk, of course, though. With NBC owning Sunday nights with the NFL and having NBA games airing on Tuesday nights for the full season, there are significantly fewer timeslots available later in the fall and throughout the winter and early spring. We will likely see fewer and fewer NBC shows greenlit because of this NBA deal, and I know that's probably a bummer for TV fans like us. I love NBA basketball, but it's definitely creating a weird situation for NBC, especially when you have the Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD block airing every Wednesday in the fall/winter, as well.

Stay tuned for more news about Jordan's role with the NBA on NBC! We'll share more when we find out.