Michael Wilbon, the longtime NBA commentator for ESPN and co-host of “Pardon The Interruption,” announced on Monday that he is taking a leave of absence because of “multiple health issues.”
Wilbon, 67, made the announcement on his social media accounts, The Athletic reported.
“This isn’t retirement,” he wrote. “But it is a trip to the injured list.”
Wilbon and his co-host on “PTI,” Tony Kornheiser, recently celebrated the popular show’s 25th anniversary, which reached an average of more than 700,000 viewers on a daily basis last month, according to The Athletic. The two men, who were colleagues at The Washington Post during the 1980s, revolutionized television’s sports debate format, ESPN reported.
Wilbon’s last appearance on “PTI,” which airs weekdays at 5:30 p.m. ET, was Oct. 26, ESPN reported.
https://t.co/RkkZiNSxvx
— Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) November 2, 2026
Wilbon did not provide full details about why he was leaving, but he told his colleague on “The Tony Kornheiser Show” podcast that he is diabetic and that is “part of what I am dealing with now, but not the entirety of it,” according to the cable sports news outlet.
“I didn’t do the show for a week because I was just exhausted,” Wilbon told Kornheiser, ESPN reported. “Beyond exhausted, lifeless. And this has been going on for a while.
“I have to listen (to my symptoms),” he told Kornheiser. “I’ve got things going on that are forcing me to listen.”
Wilbon’s place on “PTI” this week will be filled by Pablo Torre or Frank Isola, according to The Athletic. Both men have been substitute hosts on the shows.
There is no long-term forecast for Wilbon’s future with the show.
“I have no idea how this part of my journey will wind up,” Wilbon wrote on social media. “The goal of it is to come out of it feeling much better than I do now and ready to return to sparring with Tony.”
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