Honestly, it’s hard to remember a time when the entire world was collectively glued to a single sports documentary, but that’s exactly what happened when The Last Dance hit our screens. It wasn’t just a show about basketball. It was a cultural reset.
For ten episodes, we weren’t just watching highlights of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls; we were essentially inside the locker room, witnessing the friction, the egos, and the absolute obsession required to win a sixth NBA title. Most people think they know the story of Michael Jordan, but The Last Dance peeled back layers that even die-hard fans hadn't seen before.
It’s about the cost of greatness. It's about how a team on the brink of collapse managed to pull off one final, legendary run.
Why The Last Dance Felt Like More Than a Rerun
When Jason Hehir sat down to direct this massive project, he had over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage at his disposal. That’s a lot of tape. For twenty years, that footage sat in a vault because Michael Jordan wouldn't give the green light to release it. He was worried, quite frankly, that people would see how "horrible" he was to his teammates.
He wasn't entirely wrong.
Seeing Jordan berate Scottie Burrell or hearing the stories of him punching Steve Kerr in the face during practice—it’s jarring. But that’s the reality of that era. The documentary doesn't just celebrate the wins; it forces you to look at the psychological warfare Jordan waged on his own team to keep them sharp.
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The Jerry Krause Factor
You can’t talk about The Last Dance without talking about the "villain" of the piece: Jerry Krause. As the General Manager, Krause was the man who built the dynasty, yet he’s often remembered as the man who tore it down.
The tension was thick.
Krause famously said that organizations win championships, not just players. To Jordan and Phil Jackson, that was like a slap in the face. It created this weird, toxic, yet highly productive environment where the team was essentially playing against their own front office just as much as they were playing against the Utah Jazz or the Indiana Pacers.
The Reality vs. The Narrative
Now, we have to address the elephant in the room. Is The Last Dance a 100% objective documentary? Probably not.
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Horace Grant has been very vocal about this. He called it "BS" and argued that 90% of it was skewed to favor Jordan’s perspective. Since Jordan’s own production company, Jump 23, was a partner in the project, critics like Ken Burns have pointed out that it leans more toward hagiography than strict journalism.
Basically, it's Jordan's version of the truth.
But even if it’s one-sided, the raw emotion in the interviews is undeniable. When Jordan breaks down talking about his father, James Jordan, or when he explains why he was so hard on his teammates, you see the human being behind the "Jumpman" logo. He wasn't a machine. He was a guy who was terrified of losing and used every slight—real or imagined—as fuel.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Flu Game
We all know the story: Game 5 of the 1997 Finals. Jordan is hunched over, sweating, looking like he’s about to collapse. For years, we called it the "Flu Game."
The Last Dance finally set the record straight: it was food poisoning. Specifically, some sketchy late-night pizza in Utah.
Five guys showed up to deliver one pizza? Even back then, that felt like a setup. Jordan ate the whole thing himself, and by 2:00 AM, he was in a fetal position. Seeing him drag himself onto the court and drop 38 points while barely being able to stand up is still one of the most insane things captured on film.
The Supporting Cast Who Made it Possible
While it's easy to get lost in the MJ of it all, the show does a great job of highlighting that this wasn't a one-man show.
- Scottie Pippen: We saw the "underpaid" superstar drama. Pippen was arguably the second-best player in the league but was the 122nd highest-paid player. His decision to delay surgery at the start of the '97 season was a huge middle finger to the front office.
- Dennis Rodman: The 48-hour Vegas vacation in the middle of the season is peak Rodman. Only Phil Jackson would have the "Zen" to allow that, and only Jordan would have the intensity to go drag him out of bed when he didn't come back on time.
- Steve Kerr: The "role player" who hit the biggest shot of his life. His backstory, specifically the tragic loss of his father, provided some of the most grounded and emotional moments of the series.
How The Last Dance Changed the Game
The timing of the release was almost poetic. It dropped in April 2020, right when the world was locked down and starving for sports. It averaged 5.6 million viewers per episode on ESPN, making it the most-watched documentary in the network's history.
It reminded a younger generation—the ones who only know Jordan through memes or sneakers—exactly why he was the most feared athlete on the planet.
But more than that, it changed how athletes tell their stories. Now, every superstar wants their own "Last Dance" style documentary. We've seen a wave of these since 2020, but none have quite captured the same lightning in a bottle. Maybe it’s because no one else has 20 years of "secret" footage, or maybe it’s because no one else is quite as unapologetic as Michael Jordan.
Key Lessons for the Rest of Us
You don't have to be an NBA All-Star to get something out of this. The show is basically a masterclass in leadership, even if that leadership is sometimes "toxic" by modern standards.
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- Preparation is everything. Jordan didn't just show up; he outworked everyone in the gym.
- Conflict can be a catalyst. The Bulls used their hatred for Krause to bond closer together.
- Find your "Why." Jordan's "Why" was winning at all costs. It made him lonely, and it made him a "jerk" to some, but it also made him a six-time champion.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’ve already finished the series and want to dive deeper into the real history without the "Jordan Filter," here is what you should do next:
- Read "The Jordan Rules" by Sam Smith. This is the book that Jordan accused Horace Grant of being a source for. It offers a much more unvarnished, contemporary look at the 1990-91 season.
- Watch the 1998 NBA Finals Game 6 in its entirety. YouTube has the full broadcast. Seeing the "Last Shot" in the context of the full game—with the fatigue and the pressure—is a different experience than seeing the clip in the doc.
- Check out "The Fab Five" or "The '85 Bears." These are also directed by Jason Hehir. They have a similar grit and storytelling style if you're looking for more high-quality sports history.
- Compare the stats. Look at the 1997-98 team stats versus the 72-win team from 1995-96. You’ll see just how much the "Last Dance" team was "running on fumes," as many players described it.
The legacy of the Chicago Bulls isn't just about the rings. It’s about the drama, the sweat, and the sheer will it took to keep that engine running for a decade. The Last Dance might be a curated version of that history, but it's as close to the fire as most of us will ever get.