EDITOR’S NOTE: First in a series of stories about the figure of Michael Jordan in the framework of the premiere of the documentary The Last Dance.
The glory of a hegemony that lasted virtually the entire 1990s is not the only thing that preceded the last season of the legendary Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls. His disagreements, and those of other team members with management, were fuel for completing a mission in the 1997-1998 campaign.
All that preamble is part of the 10-part documentary, titled The Last Dance, which will premiere this Sunday, April 19 on ESPN, at 9:00 p.m.
The series, which will run until May 17, will include two consecutive episodes every Sunday, and in Puerto Rico it can be watched through the specialized sports channel or through its mobile platform (ESPN App).
Outside the United States and its territories, the documentary will be available on Netflix, starting Monday, April 20.
The documentary is named The Last Dance, because he also named the leader Phil Jackson that season, according to the host of The Jump program, Rachel Nichols, during a recent interview with Scottie Pippen, one of the pillars with Michael Jordan of the Bulls dynasty. The coach knew it would be the last chance with that same group.
The special, originally due for release in the summer, delves into the grandeur of the Bulls dynasty. But it specifically documents what happened during the last season in which Jordan and company won their last championship.
Anticipating that this could be the end of a hegemony, given various events with some of the Bulls’ figures, the NBA Entertainment production requested, prior to the start of the season, permits to accompany the team throughout the campaign. And they filmed all the events around the squad, not just the games, but moments that were lived behind the scenes.
The assumption that it would be the last season for that group did not come out of nowhere. Jackson had already decided that this would be his last season in Chicago. In fact, Jackson, Dennis Rodman, and Jordan entered that campaign with one-year contracts. Jordan had even stated back then that he would not play for any coach other than Jackson. And he adduced differences with management and with the owner.
All 10 episodes contain never-before-seen visuals of intimate moments from Jordan and his peers.
From what can be seen in the progress of ESPN with several ‘teasers’ of the series, it will include images never seen before. Some iconic ones, like a crossroads in a hallway to the dressing rooms, between Jordan and the recently deceased Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.
More than 100 interviewees
According to the ESPN network since it announced that it would make the premiere this weekend, in the documentary more than 100 personalities close to the team or who experienced the progress of the Bulls that campaign appear.
Among other topics, the documentary explores through these testimonies the phenomenon of Jordan. ESPN itself has recalled through its platforms, especially on the internet, several of the events and situations that preceded that last season of the Bulls with Jordan as the protagonist.
Like someone who presents a menu on the table to make a delicacy even more appetizing, the chain has reviewed the moments of glory of the franchise, such as those of its first streak of three straight championships between 1991 and 1993.
So, in the aforementioned season, Jordan and his teammates were on the hunt for their second “three-peat” in just eight seasons, but also perhaps determined to show management that the Bulls would not be the same after them. And among the accounts that ESPN does, there are friction with management.
Not only Jordan, Jackson himself expressed his displeasure publicly, recalling a few words from general manager Jerry Krause, that “leaders and players do not win championships; organizations are the ones that win championships. ”
Documentary itinerary by ESPN
April 19th
-9pm, Episode 1
-10pm, Episode 2
April 26
-9pm, Episode 3
-10pm, Episode 4
May 3
-9pm, Episode 5
-10pm, Episode 6
May 10
-9pm, Episode 7
-10pm, Episode 8
may 17th
-9pm, Episode 9
-10pm, Episode 10
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