Six Takeaways from Michael Jordan’s, “The Last Dance” Docuseries
By: Jamal Blades
Tags: Sports Journalists, Leadership, Sports, TV Series, TV Shows

Basketball fan or not, it has been hard to miss all the comments recently about the ESPN and Netflix docuseries, “The Last Dance” which focuses on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 1997–1998 NBA season from start to finish. This would ultimately be the last of Jordan’s career with the Bulls and lead to the dismantling of the team.

So, for all those who like myself have just finished watching the final two episodes that aired on Sunday night (Monday on Netflix UK), I have compiled a list of some of my key takeaways from the series. There are hundreds of things, I could include in this but as I wanted to focus on the six that grabbed my attention.

1. Great TV but by no means elite.

Rightly or wrongly, I judge all sports documentary by one and that is “O.J: Made in America” which covers the rise and fall of O.J Simpson. Now if you haven’t seen it already, words can’t describe how exceptional it is (probably not good for a writer to say that but hey). The Oscar-winning documentary goes into forensic detail about not only the crimes O.J was accused of and his infamous trial but also provides the backdrop of what was happening in America at the time, in regard to police brutality of Black people and their treatment within the justice system.

What many viewers might not be aware of, is that Michael Jordan’s production company (Jump 23) is one of the co-producers of the show. This has been conveniently left off the credits at the end, however, it does let us know that whatever is shown in the series, would have had to be signed off by Jordan, which goes a long way in explaining why so many issues felt skirted over.

Issues such as his father’s murder, gambling addiction, apathy towards social issues and the treatment of his own teammates while touched upon, are told to the viewer in a one-sided manner. For example, Jordan’s infamous ‘Republicans buy sneakers too” comment was explained away as a joke. However, none of the individuals who he is alleged to have said this too, confirmed they saw this comment as a joke and it does not explain why Horace Grant, the man alleged to have told the press of these comments, would expose his teammate, knowing how bad this would look to his carefully constructed image.

“The Last Dance “is great tv however at times it can feel like a vanity project designed to ensure Jordan is not viewed in too bad a light. It should come as no surprise that Jordan was worried people would view him as a horrible guy following the airing of the program and that need to control how he is viewed, comes through in the project.

For those with a limited history of Jordan, they will see an insanely competitive player who’s superhuman abilities and drive to win, fuelled one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports. Others will see a fierce competitor, still trying to control everything and everyone around him. What stops this from being in the same sphere as the OJ documentary, is the lead protagonist shadow appearing over the finished article, something the makers of OJ did not have to worry about (for obvious reasons).

2. His style of leadership was brutal and would not be tolerated in today’s age.

Am I the only one who thought “Poor Scottie Burrell”?

Jordan’s treatment of his teammates was awful! From berating them verbally, to physically fighting them and attempting to starve them because of a poor performance , Jordan’s style of leadership left little to the imagination.

Some may argue that it had the desired results and was necessary in order to get teammates up to the standard of what was required. Others may argue that in today’s ‘snowflake’ era, millennials don’t have the mental strength to do whatever it takes to win.

I’m not here to argue whether it was effective or not as six rings answer that question off the bat. However, what I would say is that Jordan’s leadership style is a product of that era and would not be tolerated in today’s climate.

People would not tolerate such a hostile working environment and would either react by leaving or leaking stories to the press that would ultimately lead to a negative backlash.

Jordan’s leadership was undeniably successful but it’s no surprise that while all his teammates compliment his abilities with a basketball, so few have actual positive kind words to say about him as an individual.

Jordan’s relationships with people for me is summed up by his relationship with George Koehler — Best Friend & Personal Assistant

3. Michael Jordan is not a role model and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Everyone wants to ‘Be Like Mike’.

We have both Jordan the brand and Jordan the human being. No human is perfect and as we see throughout, Jordan is no different. However, in a time where athletes were not exposed to the world through social media, the public only ever got to see the image of Jordan the brand, which was expected to be perfect at all times.

Can you imagine how lonely and isolated it must have felt to always be perfect, to not say anything to offend anyone and to smile and appear happy even when you’re not?

“The Last Dance” showed us how mentally exhausting it was to be Jordan, he was a truly global superstar, mobbed wherever he went and unable to ever really switch off, unless alone in his hotel room. Jordan was portrayed by his sponsors as well as the media as almost superhuman devoid of weakness or flaws. An image, no one could ever live up to.

Jordan was an asshole to teammates, liked to gamble, and has been involved with some dodgy characters, however as he points out “If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would never want to be considered a role model. It’s like a game stacked against me”.

I always felt like Charles Barkley said it best when he said “I’m not a role model… Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids”.

4. Dennis Rodman is superhuman!

I’m not going to spend much time covering the exploits of Dennis Rodman as that’s what the internet is there for. All I can say is while some of his actions are not the most professional (skipping NBA Finals practice to appear in WCW), his dedication to his craft and love for the game cannot be ignored. I truly believe him when he says, he would have played basketball for free.

It’s often said that you should treat everyone equally in life and I tend to agree but professional sports are different and what makes Phil Jackson a genius as a coach, was the ability to treat his players as individuals and understand they had different needs. Would Rodman have been as effective without the trip to Vegas during the regular season? We just don’t know. Rodman played three seasons with Jordan and won three championships. There is no way he would have lasted that long if Jordan and the rest of his teammates did not believe he was giving his all for the team and providing value.

5. Without Pippen, there are no 6 Championships.

An argument can be made (and often is) that Jordan couldn’t have won all his championships without Scottie Pippen. They meshed perfectly together, and Pippen was the perfect number 2 to Jordan’s undisputed alpha dog leadership style. Pippen was loved by all his teammates and would be the more supportive and encouraging ying to Jordan’s critical and brutal yang.

With all that being said, I am left with a bitter taste in the mouth at how Pippen has been portrayed throughout the “The Last Dance”. Much attention was on Pippen choosing to wait to have surgery on his foot until the start of the 1997–1998 season as well as his refusal to go back into the game in the 1994 playoff series against the New York Knicks as he was not given the last shot.

Pippen saying, he chose to delay having surgery in order to enjoy his offseason break does not look good, however, what was not pressed home enough was just how badly treated Pippen had been by the Bulls management.

The refusal to renegotiate his contract which led to him being only the 11th highest player on the team was an insult. Pippen will go down in basketball as one of the 50 greatest players to ever play the game. At that point in his career, Pippen was a five-time Champion, Olympic Gold Medallist with the 1992 Dream, All-Defensive NBA First Team eight consecutive times, and the second-best player on the greatest basketball team ever. It was outrageous what they were paying him, and he did the only thing within his power.

The 1994 incidents in the playoffs series with the Knicks was not a good look for Pippen and a stain on an otherwise impeccable career. His teammates acknowledged how he let the team down and how disappointed they were in him. He apologised and they forgave him.

The cynic in me wants to know why it was included in ‘The Last Dance’ other than to show Pippen negatively. What I have to drive home again, is that this series is being co-produced by Michael Jordan. Showing Pippen in such negative light takes away a lot of the negative attention that was sure to come Jordan’s way. It was clear Pippen was uncomfortable talking about the incident and this was evident when he said he regretted it but would still do it again. It felt like a school kid who was in trouble and forced to say sorry but then says they don’t really mean it.

Pippen was as much a factor on that Bulls team as Jordan, not in terms of talent but in terms of bringing teammates together as a facilitator, defensive stopper, and heart of the team. While Jordan may have been the voice and figurehead of the Bulls, for me it was Pippen’s leadership and play that brought heart to those successful teams.

There is only one Black Jesus!

If you have never seen the Spike Lee film “He Got Game” or are a hardcore fan of the New York Knicks, then you might not know that the moniker ‘Black Jesus’ was the name given to Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe.

Jordan is a legend and the greatest basketball player ever but I’m sorry you ain’t giving him the name ‘Black Jesus’ as well!

Let me know your thoughts and your takeaways from ‘The Last Dance”.