The day of Michael Jordan’s highly anticipated debut in NBA media coverage is finally here. During halftime of the Rockets vs. Thunder game on opening night, NBC aired Michael Jordan’s first pre-recorded segment called ‘Insights to Excellence,’ where he sat down for an interview with Mike Tirico and spoke about why he was away from the public eye for so many years and explained why he made a return to television with NBC.
“It’s amazing how you never really know in the prime of your career how much time you really do not have for family. That’s what I have the time to do now. I mean, the most valuable asset I have is time. So that’s probably why you don’t see enough of me,” said Jordan.
“That time I’m trying to spend with family members and things I’ve been missing out on for such a long time,” he further added.
Jordan went on to claim that he hasn’t picked up a basketball in years and recalled the last time he did pick one up was during the Ryder Cup event. He remembered being the most anxious he had ever been in years when he was asked to drain a free throw while playing with the owner’s grandchild.
“It’s the most nervous I’ve been in years,” he admitted. “The reason is that those kids heard the stories from their parents about what I did 30 years ago. So their expectation was from 30 years prior, and I haven’t touched the basketball.”Â
“That made my whole week, impressing that kid, not knowing that I could,” said Jordan as he recalled draining that free throw with ease.
The Bulls legend then went on to explain why he made this comeback to the NBA world, years after his retirement. He believes that it’s not for the money, but for the love of the sport that made him who he is.
“Just to pay it forward. I have an obligation to the game of basketball, not financially, I’m okay,” said the billionaire legend. Jordan was the first athlete to become a billionaire, and thus, he admits that money is not the primary motivational factor for his return.
He wants to “be able to pass on messages of success and dedication to the game of basketball.”
“I wish I could take a magic pill, put on shorts, and go out and play the game of basketball because that’s who I am. That type of competition and competitiveness is what I live for, and I miss it… Being able to challenge myself against what people see as great basketball,” said the 62-year-old veteran.Â
“It’s better for me to just sit here talking to you instead of popping my Achilles and being in a wheelchair for a while,” said Jordan, hilariously in conclusion.
The Bulls legend is expected to appear weekly on NBC at least once during their nationally televised games. As much as he hopes to be back on the court today, the veteran has accepted that he is in the best position to promote the game of basketball from the sidelines only.
