You may have seen Michael Wilbon around town because the iconic sports journalist and decorated sportswriter lives in Scottsdale part time.
His illustrious career includes 31 years at The Washington Post, current co-host of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, and analyst on ESPN and ABC’s NBA Countdown.
He’s also now a co-owner of the drink brand Coco5.
We caught up with him to talk sports, memories, Scottsdale, and more.
You’ve had quite an illustrious career. What drew you to sports as your career focus?
It was easy—I was terrible at math and science, but I was really good at English and sports. From a young age, I loved anything you could play or compete in. Sports were just a natural part of my life. At the same time, I loved storytelling. I’ve always wanted to find a way to marry those two passions together, and that’s exactly what I ended up doing.
When did you know this was your path?
I knew I loved English and storytelling from as far back as third grade. Reading, writing—those were my strengths, and I enjoyed them. As a teenager, I started to realize that my dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player probably wasn’t going to happen, but I also saw that my skills with language could take me in another direction, and that’s really when I realized: Hey, I could write about sports as a career.
I began writing for my high school paper during my junior year, and when I got to Northwestern, I joined The Daily Northwestern and applied to the Medill School of Journalism—the best journalism school in the world. I got in and things really took off from there.
You’ve co-hosted Pardon the Interruption (PTI) since 2001, but you began as a writer. How did you know television was for you?
I didn’t know TV was for me—it just kind of fell out of the sky. My career was always centered around writing, and honestly, television wasn’t something I thought about much growing up. Even now, if someone asks what I do, I say, “I’m a sportswriter,” even though I don’t do much writing these days.
TV came into the picture while I was at The Washington Post. People started asking me to come on and talk about the sports news I was reporting on. I spent 13 years doing that with WRC-TV Channel 4 in Washington, and I was also contributing to ESPN in the late ’80s and ’90s. But even with all that TV experience, it was always from the perspective of a writer or a columnist.
When PTI started, it was a big transition, but my foundation as a writer helped shape how I approached it. Writing is always what I aspired to do—it’s where I feel most accomplished.
Favorite sports moment that you’ve reported on?
There are way too many to settle on a moment. Many of them were at the Olympics and the special sporting events that take place there that perhaps people don’t even know about. One that stands out is watching Cathy Freeman win the 400-meter sprint at the Sydney Olympics. Seeing her win in her native Australia as an Aboriginal athlete was an incredible cultural and sporting moment, not just for her but for Australia, the Aboriginal community, and the world.
Of course, any event involving my favorite Chicago team, the Cubs, I love being a part of. And covering Michael Jordan’s six championships in the ’90s. I was there for all of them, writing for The Washington Post.
I’ve covered 20 Super Bowls, 25 Final Fours, 30 NBA championships—but the ones that stay with me are often the ones that touched me personally.
Favorite sports moment as a fan?
Watching the Cubs win in 2016 was a big one for me. Sitting in Cleveland at Game 7 seeing them do something they had not yet done and win the World Series finally for the first time as a franchise in 108 years would be my favorite moment as a fan.
Watching Michael Jordan win all six championships as a fan was a huge highlight, too. Another one I’d throw in is Northwestern making the Rose Bowl in 1996. Even though we didn’t win, being there as an alum on New Year’s Day was a big deal.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I love that the work I do is different, it's unfolding every day. Boredom has always been my enemy, and there's no way when you’re dealing with storytelling that there should be boredom, particularly in the world of sports and news! I don’t cover sports the way newer generation reporters approach sports now where it's highlights and catchphrases. That’s great, but for me, it’s always been about news—what’s happening and why it matters. I love the spontaneity of it and the chance to connect with the audience every day. One thing I do worry about is that we’re losing that connection with the audience in today’s reporting styles.
Is there a sports debate that you’re passionately on one side of (i.e., Jordan vs. LeBron)?
That’s a tough one, any time you get into these debates, it almost requires you to say something negative about the other person to defend your position. I’m passionate about Michael Jordan being the greatest of all time—I mean, I was courtside for his entire career. But how do you discount someone like Bill Russell, who has won more championships than anyone, or LeBron James, who’s not only an incredible athlete but also a cultural and entertainment icon, and just a damn nice person.
I will admit I do think I’m better equipped than most people to have these discussions because I’ve witnessed these athlete’s careers firsthand. I watched Michael, LeBron, Kobe, Magic, Larry Bird, and even much of Kareem’s career unfold in real time. I’m not basing my opinion on highlight reels or hot takes—I lived it. That’s the beauty of what I do. I value history and my ability to call on it and talk about it as someone who has been there, not someone pushing an agenda.
In addition to sports, you are a co-owner of Coco5. What drew you to the venture?
It started with Jim Reynolds, the majority owner, talking to me about getting involved. Right away, it was attractive—the people behind it, the fact that it started in Chicago and the connections I had with people like Devin Booker, Charles Barkley, and Jim himself. These are people I’ve known for years and care about on a personal level. And, of course, the product itself. The passion fruit is excellent. I can’t leave that out.
There are many of you who are involved. Can you share who and how that came to be?
Coco5 was founded by the Chicago Blackhawks' head trainer Mike Gapski. Recognizing that the players needed a beverage for rapid rehydration, he created an all-natural sports hydration drink fueled by coconut water, without all the added sugar, additives, and artificial ingredients found in most sports drinks. Since then, it’s gained a cult following and become the drink of choice of everyday athletes, and our leadership team now includes all-star athletes including Devin Booker, D’Angelo Russell, Charles Barkley, and Derrick Rose who were actually fans of the brand before they came on board.
Coco5 has lots of tropical flavors—orange, cherry, limon, pineapple, coconut, and passion fruit. Which is your favorite?
The passion fruit is my favorite; I could hoard them. Not that I’m against the pineapple or cherry—I keep a lot of those in the fridge, too!
Why a partnership between Coco5 and the American Cancer Society and how are the funds helping?
This summer, we announced a huge partnership with the American Cancer Society and Coaches vs. Cancer that will run for three years and specifically look to help communities gain access to lifesaving resources. Together, we're working to raise awareness, increase funding, and address disparities in cancer screening and access to care, recognizing that everyone deserves an equal chance to live a healthy life. From Coco5's inception, we've aimed to be different, to focus on the things that matter, and to create real impact. This partnership is a natural extension of our commitment to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
Where can people find Coco5?
In Fry's, Sprouts, Safeway, Albertsons, Target, and CVS—and always on Coco5.com.
You live here in Scottsdale part time. What drew you to the area?
I’m a Midwestern kid and there are so many of us here—the Valley is full of Midwesterners. You’ve got Chicagoans, Cheeseheads from Wisconsin, Minnesotans, and Iowans. The East Coasters have Florida, but we come here to escape the cold. Even back in the day, the railroad was built by the McCormicks and it carried people away from the winter weather and respiratory issues by trainload to Arizona.
I love the sun, the mountains, the dry heat—no humidity for me. I don’t need beaches—that’s why God made Chicago and Lake Michigan. I still have a property there downtown on the lake. But Arizona? It’s my adopted home. I love the restaurants, I love the golf, I love Sedona, I love making the drive to the Grand Canyon. When the time comes, and they’re sprinkling my ashes somewhere, maybe over Wrigley Field, I’m pretty sure they’ll be collecting me from Arizona.
Your favorite spots around town are …
Golf courses—Scottsdale National, Desert Mountain. Elements Restaurant is top of the list, too. Going to Kierland and walking around on a sunny, winter day when it’s 70 degrees. I love the area and all that it has to offer and the people here who bring it the Midwestern feel that it has.
One thing we’d be surprised to learn about you is …
I was a musician earlier in life. I got to be an 8.2 index on the golf course but I’m terrible now. I care about clothes. If I wasn't a sports writer, I would have liked to write about fashion!