Charles Barkley publicly criticized NBC for using the classic theme song “Roundball Rock” featuring Michael Jordan, who returned to NBC in May 2025 with one of the most important promotional announcements the network could possibly host.
Charles Barkley cast a harsh judgment on NBC’s handling of the entire rollout. When Charles Barkley appeared on SI Media with Jimmy Trains, he didn’t spare the network he was working with: “Those are my guys at NBC, Mark Lazarus and Greg Hughes, but that was a terrible look.”
Jordan appeared in a pre-recorded promotional segment as a special correspondent for about one broadcast and then essentially disappeared for the rest of the season. He confirmed the perception: “That was a terrible look.”
Berkeley’s pet peeve was that NBC had access to Jordan’s basketball mind and barely used it: “He can talk to them once a month for an hour to talk about relevant things happening in the NBA.”
NBC’s original NBA era from 1990 through 2022 was marked by Jordan’s incredible performances.
His six championships came during the network’s previous incredible run with the league, and helped turn the NBA into a televised show for an entire era of enthusiasts.
Fans who increasingly watched Jordan’s dominance during NBC’s original run maintain certain expectations beyond a single big performance and occasional clips throughout the season.
Furthermore, seeing Barkley openly calling out the network is one of the public media’s sharpest judgments of the NBA season.
