1998. The Chicago Bulls. A dynasty for the ages. Jordan, Pippen, Jackson, Rodman.
Those are the simple ingredients for ESPN's thrilling new docuseries "The Last Dance," which kicked off its 10-episode run on Sunday night. The first two hours, out of a total of ten, premiered to rapturous applause and genuine intrigue.
When it comes to this team and this time, it doesn't matter if you are a casual NBA fan or even someone who has gradually moved away from the sport, like myself. This time period in the sport hooks you instantly, yanking your senses right back into the thrill-a-minute atmosphere of Phil Jackson's team that won six championships inside 10 seasons.
Would it have won seven if Michael Jordan hadn't decided to take a shot at professional baseball in his 30s? I'd bet big money on it, but that's in the past and has a lock on it, so forget about it.
The first two hours covered a lot of territory in setting up that momentous 1997-98 season, where the Bulls were going for their sixth championship. Threatened to be broken up for a rebuild by general manager Jerry Krause --someone who truly suffered from "little man syndrome" -- it was a "one last ride" situation for the once-in-a-lifetime basketball team.
Krause is painted rightfully here as the villain. The guy who told Jackson this was his final season even if, according to the legendary coach himself, the Bulls went 82-0. The guy who refused to go to bat for Scottie Pippen, who was criminally underpaid for the majority of his career. The guy who didn't like the fact that he was the least interesting element of the greatest show on court. The guy who looked like an underpaid yet overfed carpenter with half a toolbox.
The pilot episode isn't out of diapers yet when you see footage of Krause talking about the options for the team heading into that season. He had a false pretense that the team members, outside of Jordan, were aging out and it was time for a rebuild. It makes absolutely zero sense. It's true that some theories and ideas age better with time; Krause's hypocrisy doesn't factor in that mindset.
Here's what I loved about this documentary. It instantly took me back to a time and place where I not only cared about basketball but loved and required it. I didn't own Michael Jordan sneakers or cover myself in Chicago colors, but this team was addicting and you couldn't look away. They were a drug that took the worries of the world away, even if they weren't really "my" team. I was a bandwagon fan due to the undeniable skill level they had. Talk about a magical team.
Jordan-the ultimate athletic concoction of hard work, talent, and competitive drive-was someone kids and adults from all over the world knew about. As ESPN's First Take's Michael Wilbon put it, "there was Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, and Jordan. That's it. That's the list." He was the tireless embodiment of precise skill and internal drive that every coach desires and every sports owner dreams about.
Then there was Pippen, the best No. 2 of all time, someone who could have been a No. 1 on almost any other team. The 122nd highest-paid player in the league (for NHL fans, that's James Neal placing) due to a long term contract he signed early on in his career, Pippen was the all class and heart player whom Jordan needed in order to be incredible. They were Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, you name it. Pippen led the team in steals and assists, finishing right behind Jordan in points, time on the court and general value. But while Jordan made over $30 million, Pippen had a seven-year, $18 million deal he took in order to guarantee a safety net for his family.
And then there's Rodman, the playfully odd yet fearsome rebound specialist who didn't need the ball on the court in order to produce a value. He got into other player's heads, turned the play around on the court, and saved his personality's wicked ways for off the court and not on it. He was something else, a lethal blend of fearlessness, height and tenacity.
Jackson was the guy who brought it all together, and according to owner Jerry Reinsdorf, was brought to the Bulls by Krause. If not for the antagonistic GM, maybe Jackson doesn't become the Hall of Fame coach he is today. It's the devil in the details that documentaries, sports-themed or not, thrive on. I learned more about this team and its players than I had gathered over the past 22 years since this season occurred.
We all know how it ends, but this documentary is so good, you resist the urge to google the specifics. It's the all-time great television series that you try so hard to wipe from your memory but find it impossible to complete, so you just savor whatever things that come off as new decades later. It's the legendary movie you re-appreciate all over again.
Here's a few things I gathered from the first two hours:
1) Jordan's secret ingredient was simple: hard work. You don't become a worldwide icon with talent alone. The end dish isn't going to be as juicy without a healthy amount of other elements, like hard work and a determination to be the best. It's how he rose to the top ranks of North Carolina and how he took over a sport even though most pundits didn't believe in a 6-feet, 6-inch player becoming anything more than decent. It's why he is the best of all time.
2) Reinsdorf provides comic relief here, on purpose or not. There's something about his dry wit and ability to answer questions or say things without leaving a hanging thread at the end. Whether it's dishing on the allure of not being invited to a wedding or his zero-tolerance policy for contract re-negotiations, the owner is cut and dry when he speaks, and it's oddly funny to listen to.
3) I really hope they mention Rodman's Oscar-worthy work in the Jean Claude Van Damme 1997 film, "Double Team."
4) I have a love/hate relationship with Pippen's decision to have surgery so late in the offseason that he would miss 2-3 months of the regular season. Look, he signed that long term deal even though Reinsdorf told him not to and he didn't reopen contract talks once the ink dried. Pippen had a responsibility to his teammates and the fans to be ready. He should have gotten the surgery done early, possibly hold out a few weeks before the season, but been there as soon as he can. A contract is a contract. You either bet on yourself or take the long term road. But I also secretly love his decision to stick it to the organization and more directly, Krause.
5) Hearing Larry Bird talk so glowingly about a fellow NBA superstar doesn't get old. Jordan dropped over 120 points on the Celtics in that playoff series between the Bulls and Celtics after he had missed most of the season due to a fracture in his foot. The Celtics won because they had the more talented team, but Jordan nearly single-highhandedly won a couple of those games.
I need more of this right now. Sunday is too late. ESPN and NBA films know how to make sports documentaries and leave some room on the wick. This is only the beginning. The second hour ended with a cliffhanger (not really, but roll with me) with Pippen and his contract. Will he play? How much will it take? What happens?
Great documentaries make old things seem brand new again. "The Last Dance" is the epitome of that statement. Tune in, catch up and enjoy this revisiting during a hard time. The Governor of Missouri is literally telling you to stay home and watch great television. Tell your boss that you are simply following orders.
Thanks for reading.
