Michael Wilbon rose from columnist to commentator
By Caulin Avery, N.C. A&T
Michael Wilbon has been a dominant force in sports journalism since 1980. Wilbon is best known as a co-host, alongside Tony Kornheiser, for ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption (PTI), one of the network’s most-watched shows. Since 2005, Wilbon has also been a key analyst for ESPN’s NBA coverage, regularly appearing on NBA Countdown and other programs.
Born on November 19, 1958, in Chicago’s South Side, Wilbon graduated from Northwestern University before joining The Washington Post as an intern in 1979. He became a full-time columnist in 1980, covering numerous major sporting events: 10 Olympic Games, every Super Bowl since 1987, and every NBA Finals since 1987. Wilbon transitioned full-time to ESPN in December 2010.
Wilbon’s accolades include the National Association of Black Journalists’ Lifetime Achievement Award (2009), the National Press Club’s Fourth Estate Award (2017), and multiple Hall of Fame inductions, including the National Sports Media Hall of Fame (2020). He has also authored books with Charles Barkley.
Caulin Avery is a senior multimedia journalism student from Atlanta, Ga.