NBC returns to national NBA broadcasts with MJ Insights to Excellence

NBC returned to national NBA broadcasts this week, bringing a mix of nostalgia and new production elements as the league’s 80th season opened Tuesday night. The network aired a doubleheader that featured the Houston Rockets at the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors at the Los Angeles Lakers, and debuted a weekly Michael Jordan segment, MJ Insights to Excellence, during halftime of the Rockets-Thunder game. Play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico is anchoring NBC’s new coverage alongside a roster of former players and commentators assembled for the season.

Jordan’s first installment with Tirico was emotional and reflective. Jordan said he feels an obligation to “pay it forward to the game of basketball,” and told Tirico he still loves competition, adding, “Love it like you wouldn’t believe.” The prerecorded sitdown will be aired in short installments throughout the season, network officials said, part of NBC’s effort to combine star power and analysis in its broadcasts. Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, will carry many national games and is being positioned as the digital complement to the broadcast slate.

The broadcast changes flow from a new 11-year, $76...