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A wave of nostalgia enveloped NBA fans on Tuesday night as a the Oklahoma City Thunder tipped off with the Houston Rockets at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City as part of a doubleheader on the league’s Opening Night. The festivities included the return of the NBA on NBC program, which hadn’t aired since June 2002. Play-by-play man Mike Tirico was joined by color analysts Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford during the night’s first game and was also joined by six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan for a wide-ranging interview that included a few curve balls from the Bulls legend. Jordan revealed that it had been an incredibly long time since he last picked up a basketball while admitting his burning desire to play professionally again before outlining a wild scenario in which it would be possible. HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 27: Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing walks the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 27, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) More News: Here’s What Life Was Like the Last Time LeBron James Missed a Season Opener Jordan’s Stunning Basketball Admission Jordan admitted he hadn’t touched a basketball in “years” before being pressed by Tirico during an interview. The NBA legend said he last picked one up while staying at a rental property during which he was asked to shoot a free throw with the owner’s grandkids watching. “I said, really. I already paid for the house,” Jordan said, “So when I stepped up to shoot the free throw, it’s the most nervous I’ve been in years,” he added. “The reason being is, those kids heard the stories from the parents about what I did 30 years ago, so their expectation is 30 years prior and I haven’t touched a basketball. “I hope you swished it,” Tirico said. “Absolutely,” Jordan replied. “I got the most gratifying event that made my whole week because I was able to please that kid, not knowing if I could.” More News: Timberwolves Announce Troubling Anthony Edwards Injury News Jordan’s Wild Comeback Wish Tirico asked Jordan why he wanted to share what he was thinking about the game of basketball. “Still love it?” Tirico asked. “Love it like you wouldn’t believe,” Jordan replied. “In all honesty, I wish that 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. 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,” Jordan said. “We have an obligation to pay it forward. That’s part of what this is all about.”Watch Michael Jordan’s first conversation with Mike Tirico in the first edition of MJ: Insights To Excellence. pic.twitter.com/7tfzGm6SpM— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) October 22, 2025 For more about the Chicago Bulls and the NBA, visit Newsweek Sports.
