“Same Outfit from August,” Charles Barkley Mocks Michael Jordan’s Disappointing Return to NBA

It has been a disappointing return to the NBA for Michael Jordan and NBC.

“Same Outfit from August,” Charles Barkley Mocks Michael Jordan’s Disappointing Return to NBA

Charles Barkley on Michael Jordan and NBC (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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Before the start of the 2025-26 campaign, NBC generated a lot of excitement amongst NBA fans when they announced that Michael Jordan would be a part of the broadcasting team. He would be joining as a special contributor to NBC Sports. It was NBC Sports’ return to the NBA after 23 years. But unfortunately, things have not gone according to plan and have left the fans disappointed.

Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball. Known for his championship mentality and hyper-competitiveness, the six-time champion is often compared with LeBron James in the GOAT debate.

Jordan announced he was joining as a special contributor to give back to basketball. He even revealed that he gave some advice to Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards during the offseason.

Former NBA star and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is known for not shying away from expressing his opinions. Recently, he was critical of ESPN over scheduling conflicts as the Inside the NBA show has been on ESPN only 4 times in 3 months. This time, he was critical of Jordan’s role with NBC. On the Dan Patrick show, the Inside the NBA panelist said he wants to see monthly interviews with Jordan.

It is a bad look for NBC. They couldn.t fly down there once a month to sit down with Michael for an hour. I thought it was great that we had Michael Jordan back in the NBA – but now you look, and I’m like, ‘He’s wearing the same outfit from August!’ It’s great to have Michael back in the NBA but fly someone down there once a month. What he talked about in August has nothing to do with January.

Jordan and Barkley had a very strong bond in the ’90s. Tales of them hitting casinos and gambling hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single night are legendary. But fast forward to today, they are not on talking terms with each other.

Caitlin Clark to join NBC as a special contributor

With the WNBA in its offseason, WNBA and Indiana Fever star point guard Caitlin Clark will join NBC’s pregame studio show ahead of the first night of its new “Sunday Night Basketball” property. Clark has signed on for two nights as a “special contributor”.

Caitlin Clark has been with Nike for a long time
Caitlin Clark (Image via FTW/X)

She will appear for NBC’s doubleheader of the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden and the Oklahoma City Thunder-Denver Nuggets. Clark will return in the same capacity on March 29, before the Thunder host the Knicks on “Sunday Night Basketball.”

The face of the WNBA will join the network’s pregame crew of host Maria Taylor and analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. With a role similar to Jordan’s, it only makes sense to bring in one of the most captivating players and dynamic scorers in basketball.

Denver Nuggets are the biggest threats to the Thunder

While the defending champions, OKC, have seen a drop in form since the turn of the year, they are still viewed as heavy favorites to win it all once again. However, it will not be easy in a highly competitive Western Conference.

Currently in second place in the standings, the San Antonio Spurs have beaten the Thunder three times in four games this season. But Barkley believes the Denver Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic, are a bigger threat to OKC than Spurs.

My friends are like San Antonio Spurs, they’re playing well against OKC. That’s an easier matchup for them because when they have Harteinstein out there, he’s a liability on the offensive end, so their guards can pressure and funnel everything to Wemby. The problem with the Spurs when they play against the Joker, they’re gonna occupy Wemby, and their team gets really small when he has to stay out of the paint. So, that’s the difference.

The Nuggets have gone 10-6 in their last 16 games Jokic has missed due to injury, highlighting their squad depth. They are currently third in the standings with a 32-16 record, just 0.5 games behind the Spurs.

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