This won’t help Charles Barkley re-enter Michael Jordan’s good graces.
Barkley called out NBC for its controversial Michael Jordan usage during its NBA coverage, with one interview being splintered into different segments to be used throughout the season instead of regular chats with the legendary player that some expected for the format.
“It’s a bad look for NBC and it’s just a bad look, plain and simple,” Barkley said on SiriusXM Radio on Wednesday, according to Awful Announcing.
“They couldn’t fly to Michael like once a month and do a new interview? That makes NBC look really bad, plain and simple.”
Many NBA fans loved the idea that Jordan — who can be reclusive — agreed to contribute to the new “NBA on NBC” coverage in its return to the air, hoping to regularly here his takes on the league.
NBC stated Jordan would be a “special contributor.”
Barkley, who had a falling out with Jordan due to critical comments about his Charlotte ownership, said in May that he was “shocked” to learn of Jordan’s decision, but added that he did not expect a ton from him.
Well, it turns out the Round Mound of Rebound had the right idea.
The special contribution from Jordan consisted of one sit-down interview with Mike Tirico that has been cut into different clips for his “MJ: Insights to Excellence” segment.
Instead of Jordan touching on the topics of the day, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo asking out of Milwaukee, the interviews are focused on broader topics.
“I was excited. We need Michael Jordan affiliated with the NBA, but now you see this thing coming out with NBC and you’re like, ‘Wait, y’all did one interview like five months ago and y’all gonna sprinkle it throughout the season?’ Come on, man,” Barkley said. “That’s disingenuous by NBC. That’s crazy, man. I’m so disappointed at the way that worked out.”
Tirico recently addressed the pushback against the segments, focusing on the positives while noting there are no plans yet for a second interview.
“Was it what everyone wanted? Probably not,” Tirico said on the “SI Media with Jimmy Traina” podcast earlier this month. “Was it better than not hearing from Michael Jordan? You’re damn right it was. And if we get another shot at it, will I be more than excited to be a part of it? You betcha. In our world right now, all you want to do is make the final answer before you know everything. I love that Michael trusted us enough to sit and do something that he hasn’t done in a long, long, long time.”
As Barkley criticizes NBC, he’s also expressed some frustration with his new bosses at ESPN over the lack of usage of his “Inside the NBA” show in its transition after exiting TNT.
