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| Michael Wilbon |
Michael Wilbon, the longtime co-host of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption and an NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC, announced Monday that he is taking an indefinite leave of absence to address “multiple health issues.”
In a statement posted to social media, the 67-year-old broadcaster stressed that the move is not a retirement. “This isn’t retirement, but it is a trip to the injured list. Hopefully not an extended one,” he wrote. “Struggles with multiple health issues in recent months lead me to take an indefinite leave of absence from my PTI and NBA duties at ESPN and ABC.”
Wilbon acknowledged he had ignored earlier warnings. “Probably, I should have listened to medical professionals and people closest to me, yep Kornheiser included, who saw worrisome signs in recent years that suggested I take time away earlier. But I didn’t,” he said. He added that “as one close friend has said as my issues have become bigger, ‘the bill has come due.’”
He clarified that the problems are purely health-related and not connected to alcohol or gambling, noting he is “not swearing off the now-and-then Kier Royale” and finds gambling “loathsome.” Wilbon said he plans to focus on his well-being and hopes to return. “I have no idea exactly how this part of my journey will wind up. The goal is to come out of it feeling much better than I do now and ready to return to sparring with Tony.”
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro issued a statement of support: “Michael and his family have ESPN’s full support as he takes time away to focus on his health and well-being. He’s an important member of our ESPN team and widely respected by his peers, sports fans and so many others throughout our industry. We are here for Michael every step of the way and look forward to welcoming him back whenever he is ready.”
Wilbon has co-hosted Pardon the Interruption with Tony Kornheiser since the show launched in 2001. The program recently marked its 25th anniversary, and the two hosts signed extensions that run through 2028. When one is absent, the show typically uses a rotation of fill-ins such as Frank Isola, Pablo Torre, and Mina Kimes.
Wilbon has a history of health challenges, including a minor heart attack in 2008 and a subsequent diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, along with related complications. In additional comments on a podcast, he described feeling “beyond exhausted, lifeless” and said colleagues had urged him to step back for weeks because he “was not up to snuff.”
A former Washington Post columnist, Wilbon received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. He and Kornheiser are scheduled to receive Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in early 2027.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro issued a statement of support: “Michael and his family have ESPN’s full support as he takes time away to focus on his health and well-being. He’s an important member of our ESPN team and widely respected by his peers, sports fans and so many others throughout our industry. We are here for Michael every step of the way and look forward to welcoming him back whenever he is ready.”
Wilbon has co-hosted Pardon the Interruption with Tony Kornheiser since the show launched in 2001. The program recently marked its 25th anniversary, and the two hosts signed extensions that run through 2028. When one is absent, the show typically uses a rotation of fill-ins such as Frank Isola, Pablo Torre, and Mina Kimes.
Wilbon has a history of health challenges, including a minor heart attack in 2008 and a subsequent diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, along with related complications. In additional comments on a podcast, he described feeling “beyond exhausted, lifeless” and said colleagues had urged him to step back for weeks because he “was not up to snuff.”
A former Washington Post columnist, Wilbon received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. He and Kornheiser are scheduled to receive Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in early 2027.