Michael Jordan greenlit The Last Dance right after LeBron James delivered Cleveland its first NBA title. Not a coincidence. In fact, Ramona Shelburne reported in 2020 that Jordan authorized the release of the footage he controlled on the exact same day as the Cavaliers’ championship parade.
Jordan is that petty. LeBron brings Cleveland its first title, comes back from 3-1 against the winningest regular-season team ever, and suddenly, Jordan gives the green light to The Last Dance.
But would he really go as far as joining the media just to beat LeBron to the punch?
A certain former NFL quarterback seems to think so.
Earlier this month, NBC announced at its Upfronts that the 62-year-old Michael Jordan will join the network as a “special contributor.” He won’t sit behind a desk. Instead, Jordan will film taped segments for NBC Sports. And while Charles Barkley is “shocked” that Jordan would join the media, Brady Quinn isn’t.
On his Fox Sports radio show, 2 Pros & a Cup of Joe, the former Notre Dame QB theorized that this all stems from Jordan trying to get one over on James.
“Why now for Michael Jordan? You know, he’s a billionaire. He’s incredibly successful in everything he’s done, from obviously basketball to apparel and everything else,” Quinn said. “So why now is what I think is the most interesting part of this. And I got a theory on this. I don’t know if it’s a conspiracy theory… Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time in basketball, fair enough? That’s not necessarily how everyone sees it, though. There’s a lot of people that try to make the case for maybe a couple others guys that are out there, one, in particular, that’s still playing. Although, those days of LeBron James still playing are probably coming to an end.
“And what do you think LeBron’s gonna want to do after he’s done? Do you think he’s just gonna fade off into the sunset, never to be heard again? I think this is a GOAT move by the GOAT in Michael Jordan, to jump ahead of where I think LeBron James would want to be at some point in time. And if you were the GOAT, and if you were the authoritative figure when you’re on a major network like this, you’re a part of the broadcast, the coverage, it’s going to speak volumes. And it’s going to be able to give him that platform.”
Quinn’s not saying Jordan can’t hop on X or any other platform whenever he wants, but this move gives him something bigger. It gives him a seat at the table around the NBA calendar, a chance to be the voice on all things basketball. The GOAT voice. And if (or when) LeBron retires and makes his own jump to TV, which Quinn believes he’ll absolutely want to do, Jordan will already be there.
“LeBron James likes trying to control the narrative,” Quinn said. “In this case, [he] can’t really control the narrative, because no one’s going to want to listen to him as much as they will to Michael Jordan, in my opinion.”
To be clear, it’s not like LeBron hasn’t already laid the groundwork. He’s been building his own empire with SpringHill Company, The Shop and his Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash. And it’s not like he’s not going the Charles Barkley route. When LeBron gets in front of a camera, it’ll be in a space he owns and controls, just like everything else in his career.
And to Quinn, that’s what makes the timing so compelling. Jordan doesn’t need the paycheck or the platform, but by stepping into sports media now, he’s staking his claim as the definitive voice in the GOAT debate before LeBron gets the chance to be a “special contributor” in his own right.