Michael Jordan is going to be part of NBC’s NBA coverage. His reason: to give back to the game

Michael Jordan made his debut as a special contributor to NBC Sports' return to NBA broadcasting on Tuesday night, saying he's doing so as a way to give back to basketball. Jordan, speaking to NBC play-by-play voice Mike Tirico in the first installment of a series the network is calling “MJ: Insights to Excellence,” said he makes a conscious decision to prioritize time with family over being seen more in the public basketball eye. “I have an obligation to the game of basketball ... as a basketball player is to be able to pass on messages of success and dedication to the game of basketball," Jordan said during a segment at halftime of the season-opening game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.

NCAA president urges conferences and schools to be cautious of equity deals

The president of the NCAA is urging schools and conferences tempted by riches offered through potential deals with new equity sources to think about the long-term repercussions before jumping into the deals. “My message to everybody on this would be really simple: Be really careful,'" Charlie Baker said Monday at a Big East roundtable on the future of college basketball. With schools and conferences under increasing pressure to raise funds to pay their players, reports of them negotiating with new equity sources for college sports are becoming more frequent.