Here are five key points from episodes 7 and 8 of “The Last Dance,” a documentary series about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ championship season in 1997-98:
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1. So that’s why he was a jerk
This was not really a scoop but more of an in-depth exploration into Jordan’s mindset and motivation. His tough approach towards his Bulls teammates, often surpassing that of Marine drill instructors training new recruits, was primarily for his own assurance. He needed to be sure that his teammates, the Jordanaires, had the capability to win championships.
However, it was also meant for them. We witnessed some of the sternest forms of “tough love” imaginable in the form of Jordan’s requirements, ridicule, 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 interviews with the documentary team. “So does leadership.”
“Once you became a part of the team, you were expected to live up to the standard I set through my gameplay. I was not going to accept anything less.”
Bill Wennington, a center who had joined the Bulls during Jordan’s first retirement, received a straightforward welcome when Jordan returned. According to Wennington, Jordan instructed him, “I want you to jump on the cape. But you have to hold on.”
If that entailed physically confronting teammates like Will Perdue and Steve Kerr, verbally assaulting Scott Burrell, or causing Dennis Hopson to shed tears (which happened in 1990-91, and wasn’t covered in the documentary), then so be it.
“He couldn’t be a nice guy with the mentality he had,” said B.J. Armstrong.
As popular podcast host Adam Carolla often states about Jordan – he didn’t expect you to do your best; he expected you to do his best. He was specific in never asking a teammate to do something that he himself didn’t do.
He got very emotional too.
“Desiring victory was not just for me, but I wished for their involvement as well,” Jordan expressed, his voice growing husky. “If that’s not your style of play, then don’t adopt it.”
He paused at that moment and said, “Break,” effectively calling an end to the scene himself.
2. James Jordan never left his side
We were bound to revisit the summer of 1993, when Michael Jordan’s father, James, was tragically murdered in an arbitrary roadside assault on a Carolina highway. However, Episode 7 demonstrated that James’ death wasn’t the reason behind Michael’s decision to retire. In fact, he had been considering retirement after winning the ’93 title, perhaps even as early as fall 1992.
His venture into baseball was primarily 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 had a passion for baseball. He had watched multi-talented athletes like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders successfully manage their dual-sport careers. However, it was his family’s love for baseball and his father’s advice to pursue what brings him joy that led him to Birmingham, Ala. There, he was a newcomer in a skeptical sports world, playing for the Class AA Barons in the Chicago White Sox system.
At his 1993 retirement news conference, 10 weeks following his father’s murder, Jordan made two comments that struck a chord. Firstly, he said, “The word ‘retire’ means you can do anything you want.” His next impactful comment was, “He saw my last basketball game.”
The documentary showed James Jordan, Michael’s father, as a constant presence by his son’s side, akin to Scottie Pippen’s role as a wingman, through various points in time. This was true until Game 6 of the 1996 Finals against Seattle. Those covering the championship series, which saw Chicago initially lead 3-0 before losing Games 4 and 5, forcing a return to United Center, retrospectively wondered if there was some poetic design at play. The decisive game took place on Father’s Day, marking Jordan and the Bulls’ first title win without Michael’s father present.
We’ve witnessed NBA stars shedding tears and expressing emotions when the realisation of championship victory sinks in. However, seeing Jordan on the floor of the trainer’s room, tears streaming down his face as he embraced the basketball and attempted to avoid the cameras rather than perform for them, was an entirely new level of authenticity.
3. Pippen’s star turn, minus 1.8 seconds
At the time of Jordan’s first retirement, he was working in Minneapolis. The cruel irony was immediate; The Timberwolves, who had been entertaining but essentially terrible in their first four years, were finally going to step up to the plate, hosting the 1994 NBA All-Star Game in February.
And now, it was getting an All-Star Game, without Michael Jordan, much to everyone’s surprise.
Of course, that perspective was rather narrow-minded. Think about the shock of Bulls fans, seeing the best player in the game retire while at his peak. Both markets, however, were pleasantly taken aback.
Pippen experienced his career’s best individual season, guiding Chicago to an unexpected 55-27 season, especially considering they lost Michael Jordan just before the start of training camp. He secured the third position in MVP voting, following Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Moreover, he won the hearts of Twin Cities basketball fans by filling the gap left by Jordan, becoming the star player and winning the All-Star MVP trophy.
Pippen differed from Jordan both as a player and in his personality, something that resonated with his teammates. However, we’ve often focused so much on Jordan’s aggressive, relentless way of pushing his colleagues that some of the Bulls were labeled as somewhat soft for appreciating the change.
The entire team’s dynamic shifted in just 1.8 seconds when Pippen declined to participate at the conclusion of the East semifinals series’ Game 3 against New York. Phil Jackson, their coach, had designed the play for Toni Kukoc to make the final shot, leaving Pippen, who wasn’t even serving as a decoy on the court. Instead, Jackson positioned Pippen— the team’s top passer— to inbound the ball.
After spending years in second place to Jordan and eventually ascending in the hierarchy, Pippen found himself, in his view, relegated to a secondary role in support of rookie Kukoc. Kukoc was a European discovery by GM Jerry Krause, who was already a source of annoyance to Pippen.
Despite the seeming correctness of his reasons, he was completely mistaken. It was intriguing to watch the footage from ’94 and the reflections of different Bulls members on Sunday night, providing insight into the reactions of mature men who felt betrayed by a teammate. This happened after Kukoc managed to score the buzzer beater, momentarily holding off the Knicks.
“It was devastating. He quit on us,” said Steve Kerr.
Bill Cartwright, the center, was so upset that he cried when he confronted Pippen in the locker room.
Pippen immediately apologized and Kerr stated that the team accepted it. He displayed ferocious performance in the last three games of the series, despite the Bulls being eliminated.
Pippen’s legacy is firmly established. He holds a place in the Hall of Fame, was listed as one of the Top 50 players in NBA history in 1997 – seven seasons before his career ended, and is broadly recognized as the greatest No. 2 player in any NBA team’s history.
Even today, some replica jerseys in Chicago don’t display his usual number 33, instead they read “Pippen 1.8.”
4. Comparing Jordan’s ‘bodies’ of work
The NBA’s top player took a detour to play minor league baseball for a season and might have continued if it wasn’t for the prolonged labor dispute in the sport that extended into the spring of 1995.
Jordan displaying his bat swinging at curveballs was a different sight compared to his usual tongue-wagging dunks. However, he still managed to look like his usual self. On Sunday, he took a trip down memory lane, revisiting that diversion and looking back at the footage.
However, this wasn’t the case. He had exchanged his exceptional basketball physique for one more tailored to baseball, and… was this widely discussed at the time?
Back in the day, it appeared that the short span of the season and postseason from March 1995 until the Bulls’ defeat against Orlando was noteworthy primarily due to some remarkable performances by Jordan during his comeback. This was also marked by his temporary switch to number 45 from his iconic 23 on his Bulls jersey. However, it emerged that Jordan’s performance was not just due to rustiness or unfamiliarity, but rather his impromptu entry into the reshuffled Chicago team.
Jordan had prepared to be a baseball player instead of a basketball player. He then had to physically revert back to his previous condition.
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 reshape my body for basketball,” said Jordan.
Without meaning to disrespect young Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, or former Bull Horace Grant, it would be a challenge to get Jordan to express the same sentiment.
The explanation was supported by Jordan’s personal trainer, Tim Grover, and the Bulls’ Chip Schaefer. They emphasized that the reflexes, strength, and agility required for one sport are significantly different from the other. The difference may not be as blatant as transforming Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who stands at 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, into a functional NBA power forward. However, it was a genuine disparity.
This section of the document depicted Jordan stepping into his role in “Space Jam” in the summer of 1995 and his intense determination to return to his peak form. He requested the movie studio to build the “Jordan Dome,” a full court and gym, on its premises for his daily two-hour workouts. Furthermore, he organized high-level pickup games with NBA players during the evenings, allowing him to refine his own skills while also studying theirs.
5. Don’t look, talk or even breathe at Jordan
If you hope to beat him, don’t do it. Jordan’s tendency to turn perceived or fabricated insults into intense motivation was on full display this Sunday.
In sports, we often hear about players and teams being able to tap into their potential, exploit their talents at the right moment, and sometimes extend their focused “zone.” However, what they supposedly can’t do is suddenly boost their performance dramatically, like hitting the nitrous oxide in a drag race.
Apparently, Jordan is the exception. He not only transformed immediate resentments into extraordinary performances, but he also discovered methods to create them. At this stage, he was akin to Bruce Banner turning 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.
Sunday was filled with the type of incidents that caused a rift between Isiah Thomas and Jordan. For instance, Nick Anderson’s comment after the Magic’s victory in Game 1 of their 1995 playoff series stated, “45 isn’t 23.” This is the kind of thing that escalated tensions between the two.
Seattle coach George Karl found himself in a no-win situation when he failed to stop by Jordan’s table at a restaurant to show respect. Regardless of their shared Carolina roots, Jordan was unaffected.
“That’s everything I required,” he stated. “It then turned personal for me.”
Lastly, the series revisited Jordan’s earlier response to a comment made by Thomas, which he viewed on a tablet given to him. This time, it was Gary Payton asserting that the ’96 Finals could have had a different outcome if Karl had assigned Payton 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
“Continually striking and battering him began to wear Mike down,” said Payton. “That’s when the series took a turn.”
The highlight was not Jordan’s cackling, but rather his patronizing manner of saying 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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