The Last Dance, a 10-part documentary series chronicling the life and career of Michael Jordan and his legendary ‘90s Chicago Bulls teams, was released by ESPN starting on April 19, with two new episodes airing every Sunday until May 17.
After viewing this series in its entirety, I finally understood how transcendent Michael Jordan was on and off the court. Not only did he revolutionize the way we view athletic sneakers, but he also became an international icon, growing the game of basketball around the world. The Last Dance brought us closer to Jordan than ever before, featuring exclusive, never before seen video from inside the locker room during his time playing in the Windy City.
Jordan’s mental fortitude is something that stood out the most to me in this series. This was featured throughout the show in locker room footage and present-day interviews where Jordan reflected on his “win or die trying” mentality. Near the end of the Bulls’ first 3-peat from 1991-93, Michael Jordan was on every poster, every commercial. Essentially, he was the face of the NBA, but some people felt as if his story was too good to be true.
Instead of fairly critiquing his performance, media members adjusted their views to his off-court ventures. Writers focused their articles on his “gambling problem”, which was just a “competitive issue”, as Jordan would go on to explain. He frequently would place bets on almost anything from golf matches to card games. Jordan went from being associated with the beloved “Be Like Mike” phrase to being viewed as some kind of an addict in the eyes of America.
Rather than challenging these reporters or withdrawing from interviews, Jordan remained professional and attended every post-game chat, never turning down a question. He was able to block out all of the outside noise and deliver the same level of outstanding performance as he had for his entire career.
Mentally speaking, he was extremely drained, but Jordan rarely displayed this in the media or on the court. Jordan won his 4th NBA championship on Father’s Day in 1996, which he dedicated to his father who had been murdered in July of 1993. The controversy that surrounded Jordan’s gambling habit and his father’s death is not only baffling but sickening as well. Sportswriters wrote malicious articles about how the two could be intertwined, twisting the narrative to mare Jordan’s image even more.
Instead of refuting these claims, Jordan let his game speak for him. This undeniable persistence that drove Jordan towards success is extremely rare among professional athletes and humankind in general. All of the adversity he faced and then defeated molded Michael Jordan into one of the top athletes to ever play the game of basketball.
Another interesting area of focus in the series was the origin story of Jordan’s teammate Scottie Pippen. An intriguing character in his own right, Pippen was Jordan’s teammate from 1987-1993 and again from 1995-1998, winning six NBA championships alongside MJ.
As the series explained, Pippen started as a walk-on at the University of Central Arkansas and began his career during his second year in college. At first, Pippen assisted the team as a student-manager and was indecisive about whether or not he wanted to compete in college. After realizing that basketball was his true passion and that he wanted to pursue it at the next level, he knew the path would not be easy.
Pippen was told that his role as the team’s student-manager would impact his chances of making the team. This encouraged him to not only refine his skill but to also commit to the weight room and add muscle to his skinny frame. During his training, Pippen underwent a growth spurt which saw his height skyrocket to 6’8”.
Ultimately, Pippen not only made his college squad but was drafted 5th overall in the 1987 NBA draft by the Seattle Supersonics and subsequently traded to the Bulls. Pippen complimented Jordan seamlessly during their time in the league. Whenever Jordan needed an assist, Pippen was always there and vice versa. They simply had that natural chemistry and smooth fundamentals that led to them dominating the NBA throughout the 1990s.
The Last Dance did a fantastic job telling the stories of Michael Jordan’s career and giving the audience tremendous insight with compelling interviews from associates of Jordan and the “goat” himself. The Last Dance can now be streamed in its entirety on Netflix and the ESPN website.
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