• Faith: Unknown
• Career: Sportscaster
• Birthday:  November 19, 1958

Michael Wilbon is an American sports journalist, television commentator, and former newspaper columnist best known for co-hosting ESPN's Pardon the Interruption (PTI) with Tony Kornheiser. Before becoming a television personality, Wilbon spent three decades at The Washington Post, establishing himself as one of America's leading sportswriters.

Wilbon was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Growing up in a city with a strong sports culture, he developed an early interest in athletics, particularly basketball and baseball.

He attended St. Ignatius College Prep, a Catholic Jesuit high school in Chicago, graduating in 1976. He subsequently enrolled at Northwestern University, where he studied journalism at the Medill School of Journalism.

While attending Northwestern, Wilbon wrote for the student newspaper, The Daily Northwestern. He graduated in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He later maintained a close relationship with the university, serving on its Board of Trustees and Medill Board of Advisors.

Wilbon began his professional journalism career at The Washington Post in 1980 after completing summer internships at the newspaper. Initially working as a sports reporter, he covered college athletics, Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the NBA.

In 1990, he became a full-time sports columnist. His writing extended beyond game results to examine race, culture, and social issues in professional athletics. His reporting assignments included multiple Olympic Games, Super Bowls, NCAA tournaments, and NBA Finals.

Wilbon expanded into television, appearing on ESPN's The Sports Reporters and Washington-area sports programs.

On October 22, 2001, he joined fellow Washington Post columnist Tony Kornheiser to launch ESPN's Pardon the Interruption. The program became one of the network's most successful sports discussion shows, recognized for its rapid-fire debates and the chemistry between its hosts.

Wilbon left The Washington Post in December 2010 to concentrate on television. He continued hosting PTI while contributing to ESPN and ABC's NBA coverage, including NBA Countdown.

His professional honors include the National Association of Black Journalists' Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, the National Press Club's Fourth Estate Award in 2017, and the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

On November 2, 2026, Wilbon announced an indefinite leave of absence from ESPN and ABC, citing "multiple health issues" that had worsened in recent months.

He acknowledged that medical professionals and people close to him, including Kornheiser, had previously encouraged him to reduce his workload.

Wilbon, who has Type 2 diabetes, also described experiencing significant exhaustion. He emphasized that his absence was not retirement and expressed hope that he would eventually return to broadcasting.

Wilbon married Cheryl Johnson in 1997. The couple welcomed their son, Matthew Raymond Wilbon, through a surrogate on March 26, 2008.

The family has maintained residences in Bethesda, Maryland, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Wilbon is also a longtime Chicago sports fan, particularly supporting the Chicago Cubs.

In January 2008, Wilbon suffered a heart attack while in Scottsdale. He underwent an angioplasty and subsequently spoke publicly about heart health and diabetes.

Wilbon has maintained close friendships throughout the sports industry, including his decades-long relationship with Kornheiser. He is also a cousin of former ABC News anchor Carole Simpson.

Michael Wilbon's Religious Beliefs

Michael Wilbon has not publicly established a specific religious affiliation or identified himself as a practicing member of any particular faith.

His educational background includes attending St. Ignatius College Prep, a Catholic Jesuit institution in Chicago. However, his attendance at a religious school does not establish that he identifies as Catholic or follows Catholic teachings.

Throughout his journalism career, Wilbon has addressed religion when discussing its influence on sports, race, and American society. His commentary has sometimes examined religious institutions and their historical positions on racial issues.

For example, during the 1997 NBA Finals, Wilbon criticized historical racial teachings associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, demonstrating his willingness to examine religion's intersection with professional sports.

Wilbon has also discussed sports as a unifying cultural force, contrasting their ability to bring people together with divisions sometimes associated with religion.

Despite these public observations, Wilbon has not provided sufficient information about his personal spiritual convictions, religious practices, or beliefs regarding God.