‘I wish I could take a magic pill,’ Michael Jordan admits to missing playing in the NBA

NBA legend Michael Jordan is back in the league’s programming, but this time as a special contributor for NBC.

The six-time NBA champion headlines NBC’s halftime show called “MJ: Insights to Excellence,” where he shares his knowledge of the game with long-time reporter Mike Tirico.

At halftime during the Oklahoma City Thunder – Houston Rockets season opener, Jordan confessed that he still loved the sport and misses going out every night to play but is aware of his declining physical abilities, thus explaining his return to NBA programming: wanting to “pay it forward” to the game he once ruled.

“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, and 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,” he said.

“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,” added Jordan.

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Michael Jordan when asked if he still loves the game:

“Love it like you wouldn’t believe. I wish I could take a magic pill, put on shorts and go out and play the game of basketball, today…it’s what I live for, I miss it.”

via: @NBAonNBC pic.twitter.com/HMsAneF1fX

— JordanMuse (@JordanMuse_) October 22, 2025

Later in the interview, Jordan also told a story about his most nervous moment since retiring: a free throw.

The former Chicago Bulls star recalled a time when he was renting a house with a basketball court in New York during the Ryder Cup. During a visit, Jordan was asked by the owner, alongside his grandchildren, to take a free throw.

“When I stepped up to shoot the free throw, it’s the most nervous I’ve 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,” Jordan said.

When Tirico asked if he made the shot, Jordan replied: “Absolutely. That made my whole week is that I was able to please that kid, not knowing if I could.”

According to reports, the next episode of Jordan’s segment is slated for Oct. 28, where he will talk about the state of the league and its ongoing “load management” frenzy.

Jordan last appeared in the NBA as the Charlotte Hornets’ majority owner, but has largely been unseen in any basketball-related media following the sale of his majority stake in 202 until now.

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