This isn’t going to help Charles Barkley mend things with Michael Jordan.
Barkley has criticized NBC for how they’ve handled Michael Jordan’s contributions during their NBA coverage. Instead of having regular in-depth interviews with the basketball icon, they chose to segment one interview into various clips throughout the season, which isn’t what many had expected.
“It’s a bad look for NBC and just a bad look overall,” Barkley expressed during a SiriusXM Radio segment on Wednesday, as noted by a report.
“They couldn’t find time to visit Michael once a month for new interviews? That’s really poor on NBC’s part, no question,” he added.
Many basketball enthusiasts were optimistic when they learned that the usually reclusive Jordan had agreed to contribute to the revived “NBA on NBC,” hoping for frequent insights from him concerning the league.
According to NBC, Jordan was going to be a “special contributor.”
Barkley, who has had a falling out with Jordan over critical remarks aimed at his ownership of the Charlotte franchise, expressed surprise back in May at Jordan’s decision, but admitted he didn’t hold high hopes.
It appears Barkley had reason to feel skeptical.
Jordan’s so-called special contribution was reduced to a single interview with Mike Tirico, which has been edited into clips for a segment titled “MJ: Insights to Excellence.”
Instead of discussing current issues, like Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee, the segment focuses on broader themes.
“I was thrilled. We need Michael Jordan involved with the NBA, but now seeing NBC’s approach, it’s like, really? You did one interview months ago and you’re just breaking it up for the entire season? Come on,” Barkley remarked. “That’s disingenuous on NBC’s part. I’m pretty disappointed.”
Tirico has responded to the backlash about the segments, emphasizing the silver lining while admitting that there are no immediate plans for another interview.
“Was it what everyone wanted? Probably not,” Tirico commented on a podcast recently. “But was it better than not hearing from Michael Jordan at all? Absolutely. If we get another chance at it, I’d be more than thrilled to participate. In today’s world, it seems everyone wants immediate answers without complete information. I appreciate that Michael felt comfortable enough to share after so long.”
In voicing his criticisms of NBC, Barkley has also shown frustration with his new role at ESPN, feeling that his “Inside the NBA” show isn’t being utilized effectively during its shift after leaving TNT.
