Charles Barkley publicly criticized NBC for using its classic “Roundball Rock” theme song to feature Michael Jordan, who returned to NBC in May 2025 with one of the most significant promotional announcements the network could possibly stage.

Charles Barkley delivered a savage verdict of how NBC handled the entire rollout. While appearing on SI Media with Jimmy Trains, Charles Barkley did not spare the network he works alongside: “ 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 approximately one broadcast and then essentially vanished for the rest of the season. He confirmed the perception: “That was a terrible look.”

Berkeley’s deep annoyance was that NBC had access to Jordan’s basketball mind and hardly used it: “He can sit down with them for an hour once a month to talk about relevant stuff happening in the NBA.”

NBC’s original NBA era from 1990 through 2022 was marked by Jordan’s incredible performance.

His six championships came during the network’s previous incredible run with the league, and helped turn the NBA into appointment television for an entire era of enthusiasts.

Fans who grew watching Jordan dominance during NBC’s original run retain certain expectations than single major appearance and occasional clips throughout the season. 

Furthermore, seeing Barkley openly calling out the network marks one of the most sharpest public media judgements of the NBA season.