Key Takeaways
- Michael Jordan shares a rare story about shooting a free throw for a fan’s grandkids and the pressure that came with it.
- He says he feels a duty to “pay it forward” by mentoring the next generation through media.
- “MJ: Insights to Excellence” offers a look at how Jordan channels his competitive drive into storytelling and legacy.
Michael Jordan is back in the basketball spotlight — just not on the court.
During the debut of his new NBC series, “MJ: Insights to Excellence,” which aired during halftime of the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder season opener on Tuesday (Oct. 21), the Chicago Bulls legend sat down with sportscaster Mike Tirico to reflect on his life away from the game. “You never really know when you’re in the prime of your career how much time you really do not have for family,” he shared. “That’s what I have time to do now. The most valuable asset I have is time. So that’s probably why you don’t see enough of me because that time I’m trying to spend with family and things that I’ve been missing out on for such a long time.”
When asked if he still plays, the six-time champion smiled and admitted, “I haven’t picked up a ball in years.” He then recalled the last time he took a one-off shot — an unexpected free throw attempt during last month’s Ryder Cup weekend.
“I was at the Ryder Cup, and I rented a house from the owner,” Jordan explained. “He came over to do pictures. He had grandkids. I [did a] meet-and-greet, thanked him for allowing me to stay at the house. He had a basketball court. He said, ‘I want you to shoot one free throw.’ I said, ‘Really?’ Now, I already paid for the house; it’s not like he had to see me. So, when I stepped up to shoot the free throw, it’s the most nervous I’d been in years. The reason being is those kids heard the stories from their parents about what I did 30 years ago. So, their expectation is 30 years prior, and I haven't touched a basketball [in years]."
Jordan made the shot. “That made my whole week,” he said. “That I was able to please that kid not knowing if I could.” Though Jordan admitted he misses the game, he also recognizes that his body isn’t built for it anymore. "Love it like you wouldn't believe," he continued. "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. That type of competition, that type of competitiveness is what I live for. I miss it. I miss that aspect of playing the game of basketball. Being able to challenge myself against what people see as great basketball. But it's 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."
Now, the Brooklyn-born, North Carolina–raised businessman is ready to take on his new on-air role, telling Tirico he feels “an obligation to pay it forward” to future generations.
Spike Lee reminisces on his courtside battles with Michael Jordan
Spike Lee recently reflected on his trash-talking rivalry with Jordan at the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey. According to Page Six, the director and Knicks superfan said, “I’ve had the privilege and honor to be called a ‘motherf**ker’ by the GOAT himself — many times — across the river at the world’s most famous arena.”
Laughing about the Bulls’ visits to Madison Square Garden, he added, “Anytime the Bulls would come, me and Mike would get into it. At one point, he said, ‘Sit your skinny Black a** down!’” This is just a glimpse into the drive that made Jordan who he is: A competitor through and through.