Thursday, 07 May 2026

Michael Wilbon

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Basketball & Sports Talk Show
Statistics & Accolades: National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame
Curt Gowdy Media Award
D.C. Sports Hall of Fame
Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame
Nortwestern Athletics Hall of Fame
For 30 years, Michael Wilbon was considered one of the top sportswriters for the Washington Post, but it was the partnership with Tony Kornheiser on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” that became the template for sports opinion forum shows.

Wilbon, on this show and for his work on ESPN NBA telecasts, proved nationally what people in D.C. already knew: that he could deliver a quick, concise opinion in an intelligent way. Astoundingly, despite such a simple format, nobody has duplicated Wilbon’s style and impact.

We are proud to nominate Michael Wilbon for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.