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The Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan handles the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during his last season with the Chicago Bulls in 1998, the focus of the documentary ‘The Last Dance’.
Image: Kent Smith / NBAE via Getty Images
Live sports are on hold. The NBA is delayed indefinitely. No one is sure when something will really come back thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, and even when things start to come back, they certainly won’t be the same.
The last Dance, a documentary on Michael Jordan with a focus on his last season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997 and ’98, is here to help.
Part gift for sports fans with nothing to see and part attempt to increase the ratings during a content drought, The last Dance It has become a haven of normality for large sectors of the world that feel lost without sports. It is an absolutely fantastic documentary about what it is to be one of the best athletes that has ever lived and all that goes with it.
The last two episodes of the 10-part docuseries air Sunday night on ESPN and the ESPN app in the US. And on Netflix outside the US USA If it has not been removed The last Dance However, this is the time to go back and catch up.
The last Dance focuses on the Bulls’ final season with Michael Jordan. But by capturing the end of that basketball era, the documentary offers hours and hours of context, dating back to Jordan’s childhood and career before the Bulls, along with the stories of his key teammates, coaches, rivals. and culture in general.
Yes, this is the story of the “last dance” of the most emblematic basketball team in history, but it is also a story of humanity, the things that athletes go through to compete at the highest level, how management and Ego shapes professional sports, and how Jordan’s electric popularity helped shape pop culture for years, even decades.
The structure of The last Dance It’s wonderfully eclectic, bouncing back and forth between the late 1990s and earlier years, temporarily shrinking individual aspects of Jordan or his team’s life as it offers the drama and excitement of basketball with featured clips, period news and the changing relationships between the biggest names in basketball.
There are excerpts that focus on Jordan’s time at the University of North Carolina and his move to the NBA in 1984, episodes that immerse themselves in his most famous teammates Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, and his coach Phil Jackson. Attention is paid to Jordan’s play, his tension with Isaiah Thomas, and his agreement with Nike to bring one of the most iconic sneakers ever to exist in the world: Air Jordans.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen huddle together against the Charlotte Hornets in 1998.
Image: kent smith / NBAE via Getty Images
For those who feel like they already know a lot about Jordan and his career, there’s a lot more under the surface to discover, and some great ’90s footage to discover. For those who only know Jordan from Space jam or pop culture osmosis, it’s amazing to see how much this man’s basketball career impacted. Nike barely appeared on the map and Gatorade was barely a thing before Michael’s face appeared next to them.
Old images (and music) are a splendid aspect of this series, but modern interviews bring a lot of color to everything. With topics including former teammates, old coaches, and even Barack Obama, it seems like everything is covered from all angles.
It almost sounds exhausting to see 10 hours of something dedicated to Michael Jordan, but the way it is handled and presented is very interesting. The last Dance it’s a slice of history seen through the lens of Jordan, the Bulls, and basketball, complete with some of the most impressive dunks, escapes, blocks, and plays highlights you could expect to see.
‘The Last Dance’ is now airing on ESPN and Hulu + Live TV.
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