Takeaways from “The Last Dance”
With the coronavirus bringing the sports world to a veritable halt, sports fans had to find something to fill the void. Michael Jordan and ESPN obliged, bringing us the fantastically entertaining “The Last Dance” -a look into the storied career of Michael Jordan, and the final championship run of his career.
The series was a long time in the making, 22 years passed from the beginning of filming to its airing, but that only made it all the more poignant. Its airing has brought the past to life, giving Bulls fans sorely needed joy and opening up old wounds for everyone else.
Here in Utah, many people watched merely to feel waves of hatred wash away the pressing boredom this hiatus has caused, but as painful as it may be for the fans of the 29 other franchises, “The Last Dance” gave them the opportunity to be entertained by basketball again. Despite the pain, there are many things to take away from “The Last Dance,” some good, some bad– but all of them entertaining, in their own way.
Success takes time – it took Michael Jordan seven years to win a title
With today’s media coverage focusing so heavily on NBA free agency and big trades, it can be difficult to remember that most championship teams were not put together overnight. It can also be difficult to remember that the best teams aren’t generally built in a day, but most fans only see them when they are reaching their peak.
The “Last Dance” showed that true success takes time; even though Jordan was widely considered one of the best players in the NBA. In his early seasons, it wasn’t until Jordan’s seventh season that the Bulls were able to win a championship. It took time for the Bulls to develop into the team that they became. This series showed that, when it comes to success in the NBA, patience is a virtue.
Fire- Michael Jordan was driven by an inner fire few can match
Michael Jordan was driven by a competitive fire that burned brighter than perhaps any one of his contemporaries. It was evident in the way he demanded more minutes, even when sick or injured, or when the series discussed Jordan’s gambling and golf.
No matter where it was, no matter what it was, Jordan wanted to win.
This drove him to taking drastic steps in his second and third seasons with the Bulls. After suffering a fracture in his foot, Jordan decided that he would spend the summer recovering in his home state of North Carolina, and rehabbing at the University of North Carolina- his alma mater.
While he was recovering, he couldn’t keep his competitiveness in check, and began to play pick up games, risking reinjuring his foot and prematurely ending his career. Even though it sometimes put him at risk of being burned, Jordan’s competitive fire helped him become, arguably, the best player to ever play.
Bumpy Ride – People were thrown under the bus
The road to success was a bumpy one for the Bulls. Most of those bumps came as Michael Jordan threw his teammates under the bus. While it is true that Michael Jordan was the most dominant player on the Bulls, it can’t be denied that he treated his teammates with a fair amount of disrespect and blamed them for tough losses. This was most evident when Scottie Pippen’s migraine game was discussed. Though Jordan gave lip service to believing Pippen, it was made obvious that he blamed him and the rest of the team for the loss. This was not the only instance, however, as Jordan took to criticizing the work ethic and skills of nearly every player of note on the Bulls throughout the series.
Management- Jerry Krause and Jerry Reinsdorf were integral to the Bulls, even if they were disliked
As much as he was derided throughout the series, then Bulls’ general manager Jerry Krause was just as important to the Bulls success as Michael Jordan. He may have been unliked, mistrusted, and sometimes hated by the players but he was the man who brought most of them together. He drafted both Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, brought in Toni Kukoc- despite Jordan and Pippen’s resentment- and made moves to acquire Dennis Rodman.
Jordan was often unhappy with the play of his teammates, especially those who came off the bench, but if you replace any one of those players during those championship runs with someone less capable, Jordan would not have been able to win in June. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf was less visible and less of a magnet for criticism than Krause was. By doing so, he was able to keep some negative side effects of Krause’s brash mannerisms in check, filling in the role of good cop in negotiations and in the press. He still received criticism, but his ability to delegate and manage was integral to the Bulls’ ultimate success- he should receive much credit for that success.
Further Reading- Sam Smith’s book “the Jordan Rules” gives more depth to the analysis
While some warts were shown in “The Last Dance,” it could hardly be considered a full exploration of both sides of the story. Michael Jordan had the rights to the film and series, and so it displayed a definite Jordan bias. To balance that out, it is a good idea to read Sam Smith’s book “The Jordan Rules.”
The series was seen as a non-journalistic hit piece and an attempt to bring the Bulls organization to the ground. In actuality, the book was written with the cooperation of nearly every person in the Bulls organization. In reading the book, it is obvious that it couldn’t possibly come from one source –Grant– as Jordan suggested in his series.
The book shows that, in their run to the 1991 championship, chemistry problems were abundant, with Jordan trying to get nearly every player traded. The only thing stopping him, from making very public complaints, was a concern for his image and sponsorship deals. If anyone wishes to gain a better understanding of Jordan’s career, it is necessary to read “the Jordan Rules,” and not rely solely on “The Last Dance.”