(Basket) ballroom
More episodes of ‘The Last Dance’ air on ABC
Are you ready for more? Episodes 6, 7 and 8 of ESPN Films’ critically acclaimed docuseries “The Last Dance” air Sunday, June 14, on ABC. Chronicling the Chicago Bulls’ 1997-98 season, which was Michael Jordan’s final year with the team, the 10-part series gathers never-before-seen footage to tell the story of the incomparable athlete, his team and their unforgettable “last” hurrah.
The footage that makes up “The Last Dance” was filmed 22 years ago, when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, working as the head of NBA Entertainment at the time, requested a crew be granted complete access to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls locker room for the duration of the season. Jordan agreed, so long as none of the footage would ever be used without his permission — it took 18 years and a promise from the man behind some of the most celebrated sports films of all time to get it released.
Jordan effectively held the film hostage until the footage was old enough to vote, but it seems that holding out for a producer like Michael Tollin, who produced “Radio” (2003), “Coach Carter” (2005) and “The Bronx is Burning” (2007), as well as documentaries on Carmelo Anthony (“Made in New York” 2014), Alan Iverson (“Iverson,” 2014), Hank Aaron (“Chasing the Dream,” 1995) and many, many more, was the right move. Jordan’s timing was as perfect as you would expect from the player who holds the NBA record for most game-winning buzzer-beaters (a total of nine, including one against the Atlanta Hawks seen in “The Last Dance” Episode 8). Sports fans starved of the games they love to watch have been watching this new docuseries obsessively.
Each episode of “The Last Dance” tells the story of His Airness’s career, using flashbacks, interviews and the aforementioned behind-the-court footage. In the first episode, stories and film from Jordan’s days as a student break up scenes from the ‘97-98 pre-season as well as tales of tension between Jordan and general manager Jerry Krause. This Sunday’s episodes explore Jordan’s gambling troubles, the death of his father, his retirement and his eventual return to basketball and the Bulls.
A list of 90 people that reads like a high-fantasy book of legends lay out who was interviewed for “The Last Dance.” From Bulls team members Steve Kerr (now the coach of the Golden State Warriors), Scottie Pippen and larger-thanlife Dennis “The Worm” Rodman, to Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Phil Jackson, the list is quite literally too long to include in this article. There are also interviews from the world outside of basketball, including sit-downs with musical artists such as Nas and Justin Timberlake, and not one, but two former U.S. presidents (Barak Obama and Bill Clinton).