After a multi-week hiatus, NBC Sports is bringing back contributor Michael Jordan — and Bob Costas — for Tuesday’s NBA coverage.
NBC Sports said Monday that it will premiere a new segment of its Michael Jordan-fronted “MJ: Insights to Excellence” series Tuesday night, the first since the second week of the season. It will be the third edition total of the series, which so far has consisted of portions of a sit-down interview Jordan conducted with NBC’s Mike Tirico.
NBC did not mention the topic of conversation, except to say that it will feature Jordan “discussing his love for the game.” The previous episode featured Jordan’s thoughts on “load management” in the NBA, which touched off a brief newscycle.
In addition to Jordan, NBC’s Tuesday broadcasts will feature opening teases voiced by longtime NBC Sports host Bob Costas. Like Jordan, Costas last contributed to NBC’s broadcasts in the second week of the season.
NBC has on multiple occasions this year brought back veterans of its previous NBA run for opening teases. In addition to Costas, former play-by-play voices Marv Albert and Tom Hammond have also voiced opening segments this season.
For Costas, the guest appearances are particularly notable given the way his NBC tenure ended and his stated desire for some level of reconciliation. He said on the Sports Media Watch Podcast earlier this year that the rift between he and NBC was “in the process of mending itself now, so that maybe I can achieve that grace note back where I belong at NBC.”
NBC has a relatively high profile pair of games Tuesday night as the Celtics host the Knicks and the 20-1 Thunder face the Warriors, albeit without an injured Stephen Curry.
In another notable wrinkle this week, NBC will expand its “On the Bench” broadcasts to both of its Peacock games Monday night. The usual “On the Bench” analysts Robbie Hummel and Austin Rivers will be split this week, with Hummel joined by Derek Fisher on Bulls-Magic and Rivers joined by Vince Carter on Suns-Lakers. Noah Eagle and Michael Grady, “On the Bench” regulars, will call the respective games.