‘That’s Disingenuous.’ Charles Barkley Didn’t Mince Words When Talking About Ex-Friend Michael Jordan’s NBC Gig

In 2025, after NBA on NBC’s return was confirmed, the network stoked up major buzz by announcing basketball legend Michael Jordan had been tapped for a position. The Chicago Bulls icon was dubbed a “special contributor,” and details on Jordan’s gig were kept heavily under wraps early on. Last fall, it was finally revealed that Jordan took part in a pre-taped interview with Mike Tirico and that clips would be shared throughout the NBA season. Fans have since taken issue with that, and it seems Charles Barkley isn’t so happy either.

What Did Charles Barkley Say About Michael Jordan’s Job At NBC?

The backlash surrounding MJ: Insights to Excellence mostly seems to revolve around the fact that Jordan is providing specific analysis in real time. As it stands, the interview clips show him sharing his thoughts on general topics pertaining to the state of professional basketball. Charles Barkely can be counted amongst those who were expecting more from his former friend’s new position. During an interview with Sirius XM NBA Radio, which was shared to X, Barkley shared his discontent with the "disingenuous” content decision:

Sir Charles did indeed express enthusiasm over the notion of Michael Jordan joining the Peacock network’s professional basketball coverage. Last year, Barkley said it was “going to be fun” watching his fellow Dream Team alum on air, and he shut down the notion of them now being broadcasting “rivals.” (That last bit, of course, refers to the fact that Barkley has long been a co-host of Inside the NBA, which moved to ESPN at the end of 2025.) Now, it would appear that Barkley has more than changed his tune about Jordan’s hiring.

Mike Tirico himself weighed in on the backlash as well, admitting that the Michael Jordan segment “probably” wasn’t what everyone wanted. However, Tirico also argued that the segments still got fans buzzing, for better or worse. Ahead of that, former Bulls player Randy Brown also opined that it made sense for Jordan not to be a live commentator, because he didn’t possess the “mindset to critique” players. Whether or not that’s actually true, Barkley and others are not pleased.

How Have Michael Jordan And Charles Barkley Been Linked Over The Years?

Jordan comes up quite frequently whenever Barkley is being interviewed, as the two not only played against each other but were also good friends. The pair apparently met when they were still young players and, as their careers progressed, their friendship grew as well. In rare instances, the two appeared in interviews together, creating some truly funny moments.

At some point, the Barkley/Jordan friendship soured, however. Barkley has been candid about how his dynamic with Jordan deteriorated, confirming that it was set in motion by something he said about his former pal. Barkley made comments about Jordan’s position as a basketball team owner and said he needed to put some better people around him. Sometime after that, Jordan apparently chewed out Barkley over the phone, and the pair haven’t spoken since. Still, sports analyst Michael Wilbon is trying to reunite them.

It feels as though the chances of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley reconciling are as slim as the chances of Jordan filming another interview for NBC. As of this writing, MJ isn’t scheduled to film additional content, though NBC Sports President Rick Cordella is open to continuing that partnership. Should that happen, I’d be curious as to whether execs would alter Jordan’s involvement in a way that would satiate fans (and Barkley).