Beyond doubt, 'The Last Dance' confirms MJ is basketball's GOAT

The hit sports docu-series debuts with a flourish, leaves us craving for more
Apr 24, 2020

HERE'S the most obvious takeaway from watching the first two episodes of The Last Dance that you need to know as you wait for the third and fourth installments of the hotly anticipated docu-series next Monday: Love him or hate him, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.

Yep, it's not exactly that earth-shattering as far as news goes.

Still, it's important that that very point is established from the get-go just in case barbershop pundits still insist on weaving cute tales that profess otherwise. Not that we're stopping them, mind you.

Make no mistake: Though The Last Dance tells the story of the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls' final run as one of the most mythic basketball teams ever assembled through fresh hot takes, engaging reminiscence, and mostly jaw-dropping never-before-seen highlight reels, it is without a doubt an MJ story first.

Magic Johnson's rosy opinion notwithstanding, His Airness is way more than just one of the most engaging entertainers who's ever lived, though he most certainly qualifies as one himself. That's exactly what an ESPN record 6.1 million The Last Dance viewers proved, a stat line that included NFL and NBA players who obviously were left stoked.

The good thing is, we're just warming up — perhaps like MJ, with a glassful of his extra anejo tequila (or, whatever your go-to lockdown thirst-quencher is) nestling atop a table and with our young'uns who grew up strangers to MJ's greatness by our side.

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Episode 1 wastes no time tablesetting the epic treat.

Jordan, who endeared himself to fans anew with a funny and stirring eulogy of Kobe Bryant at his and daughter Gianna's memorial service, is cast as the hero of the legendary squad and the show. The big bad? Jerry Krause, the Bulls manager whom we'll likely hear more off in upcoming episodes.

The divide between the two is clearly defined, with talking heads providing frank insider insights on the matter.

When asked what makes the Bulls unique, ex-Chicago sniper and now Warriors coach Steve Kerr replies: "We've got Michael." When queried about his manager's personality, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf says: "Jerry (Krause) has a way of alienating people."

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We know how this lingering animosity between the aging team and its coaches and the pro-rebuilding management doomed the dynasty in the end. No matter how you look at it, though, that bittersweet destruction of a once-dominant team is not unlike the demise of many an ego-powered team in the NBA. It was sad, yes, but only for a while.

The main players did move on. Jordan became an NBA team owner and billlionaire. Scottie Pippen got paid. Coach Phil Jackson won five more rings. Dennis Rodman got to pal around with Kim Jong Un. And thanks to their perspective and wisdom today — plus a fantastic collection of archival footages featured here — we are now made privy to the inner workings of their excellence.

That right there is the real gift of The Last Dance.


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When you watch Jordan now, and listen to him talk, you will still get a whiff of his sadness, his arrogance, his alpha-ness. You'll realize that the latter was forged by his brazen and deep-seated competitiveness, a trait (or flaw, as his critics contest) that had served him in good stead throughout his career but had also infuriated most of his contemporaries over the years.

A story from his injury-plagued 1985-86 season clearly illustrated this. Returning late into the campaign, Jordan wanted his underachieving Bulls to mount a final push so they could barge into the playoffs as the eighth seed. To management, though, it was an unwise request, not to mention an unsound business move.

The star wouldn't back down so a compromise was reached — he was allowed to play but only for just seven minutes per half. Jordan, though still adamant, relented and willed the team to a string of victories and qualified to meet then NBA heavyweight and Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, where he was unleashed sans minutes restriction.

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Though they were swept, MJ and the Bulls pushed Bird and Co. to their limits. In Game 2, a double-overtime Jordan classic, No. 23 exploded for 63 points, scoring at will and inspiring awe when all was said and done. The matchup gave rise to that immortal Larry Legend line on his future Dream Team teammate: "It was God disguised as Michael Jordan."

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Lesser known tales are likewise served up throughout the series to illustrate the Charlotte Hornets majority owner's cutthroat philosophy, although one stands out for grounding the Jordan mantra quite lightheartedly.

At one point, a crew member fires a question about the 1984 Chicago Bulls, which was described as a "Travelling Cocaine Circus" back in the day.

Jordan replies: "I walk in and practically the whole team was there [hotel room]. And it was like, things I've never seen in my life, you know, as a young kid.

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"You got your lines over here, you got your weed smokers over here, you got your women over here. So the first thing I said, 'Look man, I'm out.' Because all I can think about is if they come come and raid this place, right about now, I am as guilty as everyone else that's in the room. And from that point on, I was more or less on my own."

He laughs as he recalls this particular bit. And for a minute or two, the Hall of Famer who struck us as petty at his 2009 Enshrinement becomes someone we can all relate to — still a man on a mission, but as human as anyone who can take (and deliver) a crying meme joke.

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