Michael Wilbon to take time away from ‘Pardon the Interruption’

Longtime sportswriter and television commentator Michael Wilbon is taking an extended break from “Pardon the Interruption,” the long-running ESPN debate show , to focus on his health.

Wilbon, in a statement posted Monday to social platform X, said he was stepping back from the show indefinitely, though he did not give specifics on what was ailing him.

“This isn’t retirement but it’s a trip to the injured list,” he wrote, saying he “should have listened” to people urging him to step back from the program to focus on his health sooner.

“The struggles are all health related,” the commentator continued, clarifying his current condition has nothing to do with alcohol or gambling, which he joked he still enjoys “now and then.”

“I have no idea exactly how this part of my journey will end up,” Wilbon added. “The goal is to come out of it feeling much better than I do now and ready to return to sparring with Tony.”

He has hosted the show with fellow sportswriter Tony Kornheiser since 2001, presiding over one of ESPN’s most popular evening news and debate programs.

A former sports columnist at The Washington Post, Wilbon has also been a staple of ESPN’s NBA coverage in recent seasons and is a member of the DC Sports Hall of Fame.

He has been outspoken on politics on several occasions, voicing support for athlete social justice protests in 2020 and more recently defending President Trump’s attendance at an NBA Finals game in New York City .