After Feeling Drained, Michael Wilbon Takes Leave From ESPN Over Multiple Health Reasons

Leave from ESPN duties

Wilbon announced on X that he would take time away from Pardon the Interruption and ESPN and ABC’s NBA coverage. He said health problems over recent months led him to make the decision, without giving a return date. On Tony Kornheiser’s podcast Monday, Wilbon said he had missed the previous week’s PTI broadcasts because he felt “exhausted — beyond exhausted, lifeless.” He said Kornheiser and others close to him had urged him to step away for a while.

A long-running sports partnership

Wilbon has co-hosted Pardon the Interruption with Kornheiser since the program began in 2001. The two former Washington Post sportswriters discuss and debate current sports news on the show.

Health and network support

Wilbon said he is diabetic and connected his health concerns to years of red-eye flights and issues he had ignored. He warned that neglecting such matters can carry serious costs for people with diabetes.

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said Wilbon and his family have the network’s full support as he focuses on his health. Pitaro called him an important and widely respected member of the ESPN team, and said the network looks forward to his return when he is ready.

Temporary coverage plans

Pablo Torre and Frank Isola, both frequent PTI guest hosts, will fill in for Wilbon this week. ESPN’s NBA analysts will cover his work on those programs.