"Best-known for slurping Michael Jordan" - Tony Kornheiser ribs longtime PTI partner Michael Wilbon for idolzing Chicago superstars
On Tuesday's episode of "Pardon The Interruption," longtime host Michael Wilbon celebrated his 66th birthday. Wilbon's longtime co-host Tony Kornheiser paid tribute to him with a monologue in which he cracked jokes about his love for Chicago athletes.
In addition to making a joke about Wilbon's love for Michael Jordan, Kornheiser named a number of other Chicago athletes who Wilbon is a fan of. Basketball players like Derrick Rose were mentioned, along with former Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, and several NFL players.
During his 90-second tribute, Kornheiser also mentioned former Chicago Bears NFL coach Matt Nagy as one of the people that Michael Wilbon doesn't like.
"Happy 66th birthday. Michael Ray Wilban. One of the original hosts of the Pardon the Interruption show, Wilbon became best known for slurping Michael Jordan and everyone else who ever spent 20 minutes in Chicago.
"Here is a partial list of Chicagoans. Wilbon idolizes: Dick Butkus, Gail Sayers, Stan Makita, Ferguson Jenkins, who taught Wilbon how to throw a curveball. Jerry Sloan, Norm Van Leer, Derrick Rose, Ernie Banks, Patrick Kane, Al Capone and the chef at Chicago Cut. Everybody but Matt Nagy. Wilbon hates Nagy."
Michael Wilbon opens up on Inside the NBA moving to ESPN
This week, news broke that "Inside the NBA" would be moving to ESPN next season. While there had been tons of talk regarding the hit series ending thanks to the NBA's new media rights deal, ESPN and TNT were able to work out a deal that kept the group together.
Now, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny The Jet Smith, Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson will all be a part of the ESPN family. While Johnson and Barkley had previously made it clear that they wouldn't be leaving TNT, the structure of the new deal allows the show to retain all of the same producers and studio crew.
While many fans were thrilled by the news, others wondered what the move to ESPN meant for other ESPN shows and hosts. On Tuesday, Michael Wilbon joined "The Tony Kornheiser Podcast," where he expressed excitement surrounding the move:
“I’m thrilled," Wilbon said. "Whoever came up with that, good. There’s enough real estate out there. ESPN’s going to have several nights of games, so it’s not gonna threaten Countdown. Good! The notion that ‘They’re going to be on ESPN!’ So? They’re gonna be on. You can watch them. I’m thrilled they’re on. ...
"Whatever it is, we’re on multiple days and nights and there’s plenty of real estate to watch both Countdown with Malika, Perk, Bob Myers and Stephen A. if he’s still on that show. And Charles, Kenny, Shaq and Ernie. Do I feel threatened? I’m overjoyed that they’re on.”
Even though Inside the NBA is moving to ESPN, it doesn't sound like ESPN personalities like Michael Wilbon and Stephen A. Smith will become frequent guests. Instead, it appears as though ESPN will keep things as is.