Michael Jordan returns to NBC for MJ Insights to Excellence halftime

Michael Jordan made a high-profile return to network television on the opening night of the 2025-26 NBA season, appearing in a halftime segment titled MJ Insights to Excellence on NBC during the Oklahoma City Thunder versus Houston Rockets game. The sitdown series, which NBC said will run throughout the season, features Jordan in filmed conversations with sportscaster Mike Tirico in which he discusses basketball, leadership and his approach to excellence.

NBC and league partners positioned Jordan’s segment as a feature piece rather than a traditional game analyst role. The debut aired during the network’s first NBA telecast since the early 2000s and was presented as a recurring halftime element intended to connect the league’s history with its present. Network officials have not detailed how often Jordan will appear beyond the announced schedule or how much of the series will focus on contemporary player analysis versus retrospective storytelling.

In the first installment Jordan spoke about life after basketball and his priorities away from the public eye. “The most valuable asset I have is time,” he told Tirico. He added that family commitments help explain his relative absence...