Michael Wilbon has been a staple on ESPN for the past quarter of a century. And just last week, he celebrated the 25th anniversary episode of Pardon The Interruption.
He's now taking a step back from his on-air duties at ESPN.
In a statement on Monday, Wilbon announced that he was going to take an indefinite leave of absence from both PTI and his NBA on-air roles at ESPN. According to Wilbon, he was neither retiring nor leaving the network. But he needed to step away to focus on his health.
Wilbon didn't go into specifics about what health issues he was dealing with, but he did say that even co-host Tony Kornheiser urged him to take time away.
— Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) November 2, 2026
Wilbon wrote in the statement:
“This isn’t retirement, but it is a trip to the
injured list. Hopefully not an extended one. 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.
“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. And as one close friend has said as my issues have become bigger, ‘the bill has come due.’ The struggles are all health related, not to alcohol (I’m not swearing off the now-and-then Kier Royale) and not to gambling (those winds of change I find loathsome).
“I have loved sparring and hosting PTI with Tony every single day these past 25 years. And I’m incredibly grateful for the support and encouragement of my colleagues as I take this time away to concentrate on me, specifically on my well-being. 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.”
Hopefully we'll see him back on air sooner than later.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Michael Wilbon explained why he's going to take an indefinite leave from ESPN
