When reporters asked Michael Jordan about the war in the Middle East: "As if his opinions about Iraq were critical"

Michael Jordan was undeniably the most famous NBA player in the ’90s. For the media tasked with covering the Chicago Bulls, the job wasn’t just about reporting on the game. It was about capturing any fragment of His Airness that could be framed as a standalone news headline.

According to award-winning journalist Melissa Isaacson, the press was understandably always hungry for a fresh angle. However, this obsession eventually hit a fever pitch of absurdity as reporters began treating Jordan like a geopolitical oracle.

Isaacson revealed that reporters often asked Jordan for his take on the escalating war in the Middle East. It may sound bizarre, but apparently, some media circles wanted the NBA superstar’s thoughts on Iraq on the front page.

“Toward the end of the Bulls’ first three-peat, there was a verbal fatigue where he would gamely go about answering questions as he always had, but he gradually made less and less sense, like he was just quoted out,” Isaacson told The Athletic in 2020.

“Plus, reporters (not from Chicago) were often asking him questions about world events as if his opinions about Iraq, because he was Michael Jordan, were critical to the public discourse,” she continued. “They were not, and he often simply did not have any deep thoughts about Iraq.”

Mike rarely talks in public nowadays

Melissa covered the Bulls for The Chicago Tribune during their peak dynasty years. She had a front-row seat to Michael’s personality, both on and off camera. Isaacson revealed that while Jordan was often remarkably pleasant and charismatic when speaking to the media, he didn’t genuinely enjoy doing it.

As a professional, MJ understood that speaking to the media was part of his job description. With that in mind, he knew that once it was all over, that would no longer be the case.

“It doesn’t surprise me that we have heard very little from him in recent years,” Isaacson added of Jordan. “His Hall of Fame speech was not very well-received, though I felt like it was authentic Michael. And though he was a great talker, I never felt he loved speaking publicly. I think he just hasn’t felt the need all that often and that at this point, he’s going to do what he wants.”

Jordan might or might not talk again

The NBA community was hyped after it was announced that Jordan would join the NBA on NBC as a “special contributor.” Many anticipated hearing the GOAT talk more frequently about today’s game.

However, the reality did not quite live up to the marketing. Instead of becoming a fixture on the network, Jordan only appeared in one interview with Mike Tirico. To this day, there’s still no confirmation about his next TV appearance.

“Nothing scheduled as of now that I know of, but it is a possibility,” Tirico said during an appearance on the S.I. Media With Jimmy Traina podcast. “I hope there’s something else after it. Michael was awesome.”

“Was it what everyone wanted? Probably not. Was it better than not hearing from Michael Jordan? You’re damn right it was,” he added.

In retrospect, it’s quite interesting to realize that Jordan’s silence is now his loudest statement, given how often he talked about so many things back in the day. What remains constant, however, is that when MJ talks, everybody still listens.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

When reporters asked Michael Jordan about the war in the Middle East: “As if his opinions about Iraq were critical”

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