Michael Jordan is due to start his tenure as a broadcaster when NBC begins broadcasting the NBA in October. A basketball icon like Michael Jordan would not have taken the offer if there had not been a significant paycheck attached to it. Once the announcement was made, rumors began to emerge regarding the Bulls legend’s salary. A rumor circulating in the NBA was that NBC was willing to pay Jordan $40 million a year; however, this has now been debunked, as NBA insiders have pointed out that the actual paycheck is nowhere near that amount.
There is a reason Michael Jordan is known as the greatest of all time
We all know what made Michael Jordan special on the court. His relentless pursuit of basketball perfection drove the Bulls star to six NBA championships, five MVP awards, and six Finals MVP awards. His attitude and work ethic rubbed off on his teammates, as Michael demanded the best from all the players on his team. He was a prime player who was mentored by one of the best coaches in the world, Phil Jackson.
Jordan has never shied away from the camera, and when asked what he thinks his best skill was, Jordan replied with the following:
“My best skill was that I was coachable. I was a sponge and aggressive to learn. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
Jordan certainly does not need the $40 million paycheck
In 1984, Michael Jordan signed a shoe deal with Nike. At the time, Nike was not the basketball powerhouse it is now, and fell short of Adidas and Converse in sales. However, Michael Jordan was to revolutionize athlete endorsements as he signed a deal with Nike that got him $2.5 million, a five-year contract with Nike, plus a percentage of Air Jordan shoe sales.
The deal was rumored to allocate 5% of Nike’s sales of his signature shoe to Jordan, which was revolutionary at the time. In 2022, Nike reported that the Jordan Brand alone brought in $5.1 billion, of which Jordan received an estimated $256 million in royalties. Considering his annual income from his Jordan brand, the $40 million paycheck rumor never carried any truth.
Would NBC pay Michael Jordan $40 million a year as a commentator?
The short answer is no. Charles Barkley, who is also an NBA legend, has established himself alongside Shaquille O’Neal as the most popular NBA broadcasters for the last few years. While Barkley had an impressive career, it’s his analysis for TNT that has propelled him into broadcasting royalty. His rumored salary is around half of what Michael Jordan is rumored to be receiving.
Now that the NBA is beginning to imagine what next season will look like, some insiders like Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel have reported that the $40 million number is “inaccurate”. Controversial NBA commentator Stephen A. Smith even bought into the hype surrounding Jordan’s appointment as a special contributor for NBC, stating:
“He’s going to be brutally honest — I can assure you that. The Michael Jordan I know, when talking basketball, he is as candid as it gets. He ain’t trying to hurt nobody’s feelings. He ain’t trying to be insulting — but he’s going to tell you what’s going on.”
Will Jordan become as influential off the court as he was on it?
NBC is not revealing any information regarding what Jordan’s salary will be. Following the reports by NBA insiders, that $40 million number has now been debunked. The NBA has plans to increase the popularity of the sport, and having Michael Jordan as part of the broadcasting team will surely help in that pursuit. As the Finals enter the final stretch, fans of the NBA can rest assured that the broadcasting on NBC next season will be of the highest quality, so long as Michael Jordan is part of the media team.
