More than two decades after their last battle on the court, Reggie Miller is ready to go one on one with Michael Jordan again.
For the first time, Miller and Jordan are on the same team at NBC. Miller is a lead analyst while Jordan is a “special contributor” to the NBA on NBC, the extent of which appears slowly released snippets from sit downs with Mike Tirico. And as Patrick and others have expressed some disappointment in Jordan’s role with NBC, maybe Miller can help.
Miller recently joined The Dan Patrick Show, where he was asked about whether he would be interested in interviewing Jordan. And based on his answer, it sounds like Miller may have already pitched a similar idea to NBC.
“Funny you say that,” Miller answered. “I would love to do it – this is the premise, we just both walk in a room and sit down. Cameras rolling. That’s it. Let us both walk in, look at each other and just go. Whatever comes out, comes out. I want to do it. I’m low man on the totem pole over there at NBC. Right now we’re rolling out these features with the great Mike Tirico who’s done a fabulous job interviewing MJ. But yes, I would love to have an open dialogue with MJ.”
“People act like I don’t like MJ,” Miller continued. “I love MJ. But when you go against a brother for as many years as I did, you build up a certain disdain or tolerance and there was always mutual respect. I’m carefully trying to script my words here… Mike hears and sees everything. I just want him to know how much I do respect him. But let’s just walk into a room together and just talk with the cameras rolling.”
That sounds great. But considering Jordan’s approach to media and interviews, it sounds like something he wouldn’t sign up for. Jordan wouldn’t have enough control in Miller’s proposed interview setup.
When NBC announced Jordan was joining their NBA coverage as a “special contributor,” there was much speculation about what it would entail. And while no one expected to see Jordan in-studio for NBA Showtime every week, there was hope that he would at least be available enough to weigh in on current events. But conducting one, two or three interviews with Tirico to produce lasting content throughout the entire season won’t allow for many topical discussions.
The addition of a sit down with Miller will still leave a lot to be desired from Jordan’s “special contributor” role. But a raw, unscripted conversation between two former fierce rivals would undoubtedly be intriguing enough to give Jordan’s NBA on NBC role a spark.
