10 thrilling episodes that not only dive into the meteoric rise to fame of the 90s Chicago Bulls, but the icon that is Michael Jordan, the player and the person. Good luck to anybody making documentaries in the future.
I was born not long after the end of the Chicago Bull’s historic dynasty. The Bulls had already won their last championship in 1998, and the sun had set on one of the most dominant championship runs in NBA history. Six championships in eight years with an 87-13 combined regular and postseason record in arguably the toughest era of basketball. My generation never got to witness Michael Jordan and the Bulls play in the 90s, so this was a looking glass into the past for many of us.
What this documentary does exceptionally well is presenting us with Michael Jordan’s accolades and strengths, but his weaknesses as well. The documentary touches on everything ranging from the Bull’s close playoff games and highlights to Jordan’s gambling habits that strung up wild rumors and conspiracies. It’s easy to forget that behind the icon and worldwide phenomenon that was and still is Michael Jordan, he is just a person after all. We see everything. The relationship with his teammates, his father, his closest friends and even the security guards of United Center (including John Michael Wozniak and his iconic shrug after beating Jordan at a game of quarters).
The documentary begins with Michael Jordan’s early years playing for North Carolina and winning the NCAA Championship in 1982, and his first years in the NBA where he would quickly make a name for himself. We also jump to 1998, the Bull’s last great season in this era amid tensions with GM Jerry Krause. He had already publicly said this would be Phil Jackson’s final season coaching the Bulls, and there would be a restructuring and rebuild of the team the next coming years, hence the name “The Last Dance.” The documentary jumps back and forth between past and future, something that might throw off some viewers, but once you understand what they’re doing you quickly catch on. The later episodes then focus on his friendship with teammates Scottie Pippen (who was grossly underpaid) and Dennis Rodman (who we learn went on a 48-hour retreat to Las Vegas and spent the night with Carmen Electra). We go on this wild journey with the team as they overcome the Bad Boy Pistons (an obstacle in Mike’s path to greatness) and we see Michael’s persona skyrocket to international fame as he began winning his first couple championships. But the strength of the show is not that it shows us the road to Jordan’s worldwide fame, but the person that is Michael Jordan. We understand more about his competitiveness and how in many ways it’s an obsession for him, and we also see how the death of his father internally changed him as a person, and WHY he decided to retire in 93’ and play baseball. You have to remember that at this time, he was already widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to ever live. The GOAT talk had already begun around his second championship, so imagine after he leads his team to a three-peat he decides to call it quits and walk away from the game. AND THEN, he comes back and gets another three-peat with the Bulls. This is where the heart of the doc lies. Showing us the whys and hows. Why he lost his passion for the game the first time and how he found himself in the right mindset to come back from retirement in 95’.
The way they present all of this is cinematic in a way. The soundtrack and score are perfectly placed and fit the subject matter, and the jumping back and forth all of three timelines (past, present, and future Michael) fit the story telling well. Even if you aren’t a basketball fan, the story of how someone will do whatever it takes to win despite the obstacles in their way is worthy of watching this entire documentary.
It’s unclear if the Bulls would have won a seventh championship in spite of the front office issues revolving around Jerry Krause and Jerry Reinsdorf, but one thing is certain: Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls are forever immortalized in basketball history.