Michael Wilbon Takes Indefinite Leave from ESPN to Address Health Issues

ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon has taken an indefinite leave of absence from his ESPN and ABC duties to address several ongoing health issues. The 67-year-old co-host of "Pardon the Interruption" (PTI) and NBA analyst said he has been ignoring warning signs, and he has stepped away from his work for now.

What Wilbon has said

Wilbon described himself on social media as "beyond exhausted, lifeless," and said he should have listened earlier to medical professionals and to people close to him, including fellow ESPN host Tony Kornheiser, who had noticed worrying signs in recent years. "But I didn't," he wrote on X.

He said the break is not a retirement. In his words, it is "a trip to the injured list," and he hopes it will not be an extended one. Wilbon has said he has type 2 diabetes and suffered a heart attack in January 2008, and he noted that diabetes is part of what he is dealing with now, though not the full extent of his current issues.

Colleagues respond

Stephen A. Smith said on his SiriusXM radio show that he was glad Wilbon was putting his health first. Smith, who said he knew the leave was coming, described Wilbon as a workaholic and called him one of the greatest talents he has seen as both a writer and a broadcaster.

Awful Announcing reported that the leave came less than two weeks after PTI marked its 25th anniversary. Wilbon had already missed a full week of the show before announcing the break, according to the same report.

Recalling his 2008 heart attack

Awful Announcing noted that Wilbon's 2008 heart attack was followed by a short recovery. He wrote his first column for The Washington Post within days, and he tried to return to PTI before colleagues, including Kornheiser, Dan Le Batard and producer Erik Rydholm, persuaded him to wait a week. This time, he has indicated the break may be longer.

A wider problem with men and check-ups

Wilbon's announcement has prompted discussion about men who delay medical care. A 2019 national survey by the Cleveland Clinic, as reported in one of the reviewed articles, found that 65% of men admitted they actively avoid seeking medical care and wait as long as possible before seeing a doctor. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has said that about 55% of men do not get regular health screenings, which can delay detection of treatable conditions such as colorectal or prostate cancer.

Celebrities have made similar admissions. Comedian Drew Carey has said he delayed seeking help during a heart attack at age 43, when he assumed he was not in an emergency because he was still standing. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who was diagnosed with a treatable form of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer in 2003, later expressed regret about delaying surgery, according to his biographer.

What we know so far

Wilbon has not said when he expects to return, and he has said he hopes it will be soon. Smith and others have said they hope he comes back in better health. The leave covers his PTI and NBA responsibilities at ESPN and ABC, and no further details about his condition have been released by him or by ESPN.