It looks like the Mikes look out for each other. Or so Reggie Miller thinks happened in the case of UNC basketball. The Tar Heels overturned expectations by hiring Michael Malone after firing Hubert Davis. Malone of course has a storied career in the NBA. Though he didn’t have a Chapel Hill connection till his daughter attended this school, this decision raised a few brows. It wasn’t out of nowhere that social media speculated if a Tar Heel legend’s fingerprints are all over this move. Which also begs the question, is Michael Jordan a puppeteer behind the Chapel Hill scenes.
Back on The Dan Patrick Show, Miller suggested that Michael Jordan’s role as the most influential figure in North Carolina history made him a silent partner in the vetting process that brought the former Denver Nuggets coach to the Tar Heels.
When asked by Dan how involved MJ is with his alma mater’s basketball operations, Miller was sure it wasn’t small. “I think he has a huge influence. I mean, he’s their most famous athlete.”
The UCLA alum is not exactly in the Tar Heel fold but has good reason to believe they take Jordan’s input as with many other things. “Their team is repped by Jordan Brand. So, I’m sure he had a say in it. I’m sure he did his due diligence. I’m sure he had his conversations with Michael Malone,” Miller noted.
As Miller said, the link is both personal and commercial. The Jordan Brand outfits the Tar Heels and he’s a frequent appearance at their games. At one point, a coach closer to Jordan’s Bulls was in consideration. What reinforced His Airness’ presence in Chapel Hill’s athletic department was his attendance at Bill Belichick’s first game since taking over the Tar Heel football team in 2025. It might not be extreme to suggest Jordan’s approval carries weight that extends beyond just a regular alumni.
While it’s still a little speculative, this might not be a bad thing considering Michael Jordan’s brand power bridges generations of athletes.
Mike Malone’s UNC connection doesn’t include Michael Jordan
Another UNC alum, Kenny “The Jet” Smith was almost not happy with Michael Malone’s hiring. He was expecting someone from the Tar Heel fold to get the job. Malone was in fact an honorary Tar Heel before he got the job. His daughter, Bridget, is the star of the Tar Heel volleyball team. Besides, Kenny believes his championship poise and experience turning Nikola Jokic from a second round pick into a 3x MVP is the kind of resume his team needs.
If Michael Jordan really did have a role in bringing Malone’s NBA cred to the program, it’s not that unrealistic. Skeptics like Dan Patrick would speculate if MJ would understand what the young players would need in the NIL and transfer portal era. Reggie Miller however emphasizes the power of the Jumpman logo that resonates with both the kids and the parents.
Beyond the speculation, Miller expressed genuine relief that Malone found a landing spot worthy of his tactical mind. “Good for him. I was surprised that last year there were so many job openings in the pro game and he wasn’t able to get one of them and you talk about a basketball savant,” Miller said, referencing the spate of coach firings in in 2025 (mainly of NBA coaches named Mike). “ I thought he got kind of railroaded when he was in Denver. This is a great job for him to kind of set pace and step back in life because NBA is go-go-go.”
The Nuggets abruptly fired Malone during the playoffs, a move that shook the NBA world. His strategic pivot to the ACC instead of getting another NBA job was seen as a ‘step down’ by some. But the Pacers legend saw the UNC job as the perfect “reset” button.
