Here are five key points drawn from episodes 7 & 8 of “The Last Dance,” a documentary series that focuses on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 championship season of the Chicago Bulls:
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1. So that’s why he was a jerk
This wasn’t merely a revelation, but rather a deep dive into Jordan’s mindset and driving forces. While his relentless push on his Bulls teammates was indeed tougher than most Marine drill instructors’ approach to new recruits, it was largely for his own fulfillment. His aim was to ascertain that the Jordanaires were capable of securing championships.
However, it was also for their benefit. We witnessed some of the harshest instances of “tough love” imaginable in Jordan’s expectations, taunts, and clashes with his fellow Chicago teammates.
Finally, we have Jordan pulling back the curtain on it.
“Victory comes with a cost,” Jordan stated in his recent discussions with the documentary team. “So does leadership.”
“And once you became a part of the team, you were expected to live up to a certain standard at which I played the game. I wouldn’t accept anything less.”
Bill Wennington, a center who joined the Bulls during Jordan’s first retirement, received a straightforward welcome when Jordan returned. Wennington shared that Jordan told him, “I want you to jump on the cape. But you have to hold on.”
This could mean resorting to actions like punching teammates such as Will Perdue and Steve Kerr, verbally attacking Scott Burrell, or even making Dennis Hopson cry (an incident from 1990-91 not covered in the documentary), whatever it takes.
“B.J. Armstrong stated, “Given his mentality, he couldn’t be a nice guy.””
As podcast king Adam Carolla often says about Jordan, it wasn’t about you bringing your best to the table, but matching Jordan’s best. He was very particular in never demanding anything from a teammate that he himself wouldn’t do.
He got very emotional too.
“Winning was important to me, but I also wanted them to share in the victory,” Jordan expressed, his voice growing huskier. “If you’re not interested in playing like that, then don’t,” he added.
He paused at that point and said, “Break,” signaling his own end to the scene.
2. James Jordan never left his side
We were bound to revisit the summer of 1993, the time when Michael Jordan’s father James was tragically killed in a random attack on a Carolina highway. However, Episode 7 revealed that Michael’s decision to retire wasn’t motivated by his father’s untimely death. In fact, he had been contemplating retirement since the ’93 championship, possibly even as early as fall 1992.
His venture into baseball was largely inspired by his father.
Michael's No. 1 fan from the beginning.#TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/nW4YeC1p7Y
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 11, 2020
Before his basketball career took off, Jordan was an avid baseball player. He had witnessed the successful dual-sport careers of exceptional athletes like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. However, it was his family’s support for baseball and his father’s advice to pursue what brings him joy, that led him to a doubtful sports community in Birmingham, Ala. There, he played for the Class AA Barons, a team in the Chicago White Sox system.
At his retirement press conference in 1993, 10 weeks after his father’s murder, Jordan made two impactful comments. He stated firstly, “The word ‘retire’ means you can do anything you want.” His second comment was, “He saw my last basketball game.”
The documentary transitioned between different time periods, consistently featuring James Jordan as a significant presence by his son’s side, comparable to Scottie Pippen’s role as a wingman. This thread continued up until Game 6 of the 1996 Finals against Seattle. Those of us reporting on the championship series, where Chicago initially took a lead of 3-0, only to lose Games 4 and 5, compelling a return to the United Center, retrospectively speculated about a poetic unseen force at play. The concluding match took place on Father’s Day, with Jordan and the Bulls securing their first championship without Michael’s father present.
We’ve witnessed NBA stars shed tears and express their emotions when the reality of their championship victory sinks in. However, Jordan’s reaction of sobbing on the trainer’s room floor, hugging the basketball, and attempting to avoid the cameras rather than perform for them, was a completely different and authentic level of emotion.
3. Pippen’s star turn, minus 1.8 seconds
At the time Jordan was working in Minneapolis, his first retirement was immediately met with an ironic twist. The Timberwolves, who had been somewhat entertaining but generally terrible during their first four years of existence, were finally about to step into the limelight. They were set to host the 1994 NBA All-Star Game in February, marking their ascent to the big league.
And now, it was about to host an All-Star Game without Michael Jordan, which was a bit nerve-racking.
Of course, that perspective was quite narrow-minded. Consider the reaction of Bulls fans when the best player in the game decided to retire while still at the peak of his career. Both markets, however, were pleasantly taken aback.
Pippen’s best individual season in his career was when he led Chicago to an unexpected 55-27 season, especially considering Michael Jordan left just before training camp started. He ended up third in the MVP votes, behind Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. He also catered to the Twin Cities basketball fans, filling Jordan’s shoes as the top star and earning the All-Star MVP trophy.
Pippen’s personality and playing style were distinct from Jordan’s, and his teammates responded well to it. However, because we’ve become so accustomed to Jordan’s aggressive and relentless approach to pushing his teammates, some of the Bulls appeared somewhat lenient for appreciating the break.
The entire dynamic of the team shifted within a brief 1.8 seconds when Pippen chose not to participate at the climax of Game 3 in the East semifinals series against New York. Coach Phil Jackson had strategized for Toni Kukoc to make the final shot, not even utilizing Pippen on the court as a distraction. Instead, he had Pippen, who was the team’s best passer, inbounding the ball.
After years of being second to Jordan and eventually climbing up the hierarchy, Pippen found himself, from his perspective, back in a subordinate role to the novice Kukoc. Kukoc was brought in by General Manager Jerry Krause from Europe, who was already a source of annoyance to Pippen.
Even though his reasoning may seem valid at present, he was completely mistaken. It was captivating to watch the footage from ’94 and the Bulls’ reactions to how adults acted after experiencing betrayal from a team member on Sunday night. This happened after Kukoc managed to score the buzzer beater, temporarily deterring the Knicks.
“Steve Kerr stated, “He abandoned us. It was devastating.”
Bill Cartwright, the center, was so upset when he confronted Pippen in the locker room that he shed tears.
Pippen promptly apologized and Kerr stated that the team accepted it. Despite the Bulls’ elimination, he demonstrated ferocity in the last three games of the series.
Pippen’s legacy is firmly established. He has been inducted into the Hall of Fame, and was listed among the Top 50 players in NBA history in 1997, even though he still had seven more seasons to play. He is also broadly recognized as the most significant second-best player on any NBA team.
Even today, there are replica jerseys in Chicago that display “Pippen 1.8,” instead of his usual number 33.
4. Comparing Jordan’s ‘bodies’ of work
The NBA’s top player left to play minor league baseball for a season and might have continued if it weren’t for the prolonged labor dispute in the spring of 1995.
Jordan sporting a different look, swinging his bat at curveballs instead of showing off his tongue during dunks, was a sight to see. However, he still managed to retain his old charm. Reflecting on that detour and reviewing the footage on Sunday, he seemed just like his previous self.
However, that wasn’t the case. He had exchanged his basketball-ready physique for one more apt for baseball, and… was it widely discussed back then?
Back in the day, the period from March 1995 through the Bulls’ elimination against Orlando seemed significant primarily due to Jordan’s remarkable performances in his return. Also noteworthy was his short-term swap from the iconic number 23 to 45 on his Bulls jersey. As it turns out, Jordan’s return was more than just him shaking off rust or acclimating to the revamped Chicago lineup. His impact was far more profound.
Jordan had been trained as a baseball player instead of a basketball player, necessitating a physical transformation back.
Good Guys Wear Black (& Red) #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/gi6LnaJL3W
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 11, 2020
“Reflecting on it, I didn’t have sufficient time to get my body back into basketball shape,” said Jordan.
Without meaning to disrespect young Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway or ex-Bull Horace Grant, it would still be a challenge to get Jordan to acknowledge this.
Tim Grover, Jordan’s personal trainer, and Chip Schaefer of the Bulls supported this explanation. The required reflexes, strength, and agility for one sport were noticeably different from the other. It might not have been as obvious as, for instance, giving 6-foot-7, 280-pound Yankees hitter Aaron Judge the body of a capable NBA power forward. However, it was a genuine difference.
The section of the document depicted Jordan embracing his role in “Space Jam” in the summer of 1995, highlighting his determination to get back in shape. He convinced the movie studio to build the “Jordan Dome” on their lot, a full court and gym for his daily two-hour workouts. In the evenings, he conducted high-level pickup games with NBA players, simultaneously refining his skills and evaluating theirs.
5. Don’t look, talk or even breathe at Jordan
If you wish to stand a chance against him, not at all. Jordan’s habit of turning perceived or imagined insults into intense motivation was thoroughly demonstrated on Sunday.
It is often said in sports that players and teams can occasionally tap into their potential more deeply, leverage their skills at the right moment, and extend their focus or “zone”. However, they are not expected to instantly enhance their performance as one would by activating nitrous oxide in a drag race.
Apparently, except for Jordan. He not only converted instant resentments into impressive performances, but also devised methods to invoke them. It reached a point where he was akin to Bruce Banner transforming into the Hulk.
The LaBradford Smith story was early legend. That’s when Jordan got so incensed by the Washington guard’s big scoring night against him in Chicago that he torched Smith the very next night of a back-to-back. But the kicker was Smith’s alleged remark (“Nice game, Mike”) after the first game never happened. Somehow, Jordan convinced himself that it had and got his revenge.
On Sunday, we saw plenty of the kind of incidents that caused a rift between Isiah Thomas and Jordan. For example, there was Nick Anderson’s comment following the Magic’s Game 1 victory in their ’95 playoff series, in which he stated, “45 isn’t 23.”
Seattle coach George Karl was in a bind with his unsuccessful attempt to pay homage by stopping by Jordan’s table at a restaurant. Whether they were from Carolina or not, it made no difference to Jordan.
“That’s everything I required,” he stated. “It turned into something personal for me.”
Lastly, a recap of Jordan’s response from earlier in the series to a comment by Thomas, as he watched a video on a tablet given to him. This time it involved Gary Payton speculating that the outcome of the ’96 Finals might have been different if Karl had assigned him to defend Jordan prior to Game 4.
Gary Payton thought he found a way to get to MJ … Mike wasn't sweating the Glove #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/Z8NG7qN5hW
— ESPN (@espn) May 11, 2020
“Continuously assaulting and battering Mike took a toll on him,” said Payton. “That’s when the series turned around.”
Ignore Jordan’s cackling. The real highlight was his patronizing tone when he said Payton’s nickname, “The Glove”, as he returned the tablet.
However, the cackling was also quite impressive.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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