Michael Jordan says he misses playing but remains retired

Michael Jordan said Tuesday that he still misses playing and wishes he could step back on the court, comments he offered during his broadcast debut on NBC’s NBA Opening Night in a new segment called MJ Insights to Excellence. The 62-year-old six-time NBA champion spoke with veteran announcer Mike Tirico at halftime of the season opener between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, describing both his ongoing affection for the game and the limits that keep him retired.

"I love it like you wouldn't believe," Jordan said in the on-air interview. "In all honesty, I wish I could take a magic pill, put on shorts and go out and play the game of basketball today. Because that's who I am." He added that while he misses the competition and the challenge of facing the sport's top players, he recognizes the physical risks of returning, saying it is "better for me to be sitting here talking to you, as opposed to popping my Achilles and I'm in a wheelchair for a while."

Jordan, who retired for the final time in 2003 after two earlier retirements in 1993 and 1999, also recounted a recent anecdote from a trip to the Ryder Cup this summer. He said the owner of an Airbnb where he was...