In the midst of a global quarantine and shutdown of athletic events, “The Last Dance” has completely taken over the sports world. Currently, four episodes have aired of the long-awaited 10 part series highlighting the rise and fall of the most famous basketball team of all time, Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. In what will end up being a historic dry spell for all athletics, the world has been jonesing for just a taste of sports and “The Last Dance” has delivered.
“The Last Dance” has been the topic of every sports show since it debuted and has been trending all over social media. In its first four episodes the series has averaged 5.98-million viewers just in their initial broadcasts and according to ESPN, “accounts for 4 of the 6 most-viewed telecasts among adults 18-34 since sports halted in mid-March.” A fact made even more astounding when you consider the number of people at home right now, watching television for information.
The 1990s was an era of basketball filled with mystique. Since his time in the league stories of Jordan’s legendary will to win, crazy outbursts at teammates and unmatched work ethic have created arguably the greatest winning legacy in sports history. That legacy has created lore around this team and era that to this day has fans demanding more content.
In 1998, Bulls’ general manager at the time, Jerry Krause, committed the greatest cardinal sin in sports history by breaking up arguably the greatest basketball team the NBA had ever seen in order to pursue a rebuild. In today’s star-driven era, it’s almost inconceivable to imagine an owner trusting the gut of his general manager over the coach and team that was on their way to their sixth championship in eight years.
Those who witnessed the team live now get the chance to relive what many believe to be the best era in basketball history. Young people who didn’t get to see it play out get a new appreciation for the team they grew up hearing about and what it took for them to overcome not just the rest of the league, but those within their own organization as well.
Social Media has put society in a place where fans feel they know all there is to know about today’s stars. In the ’90s however, no such medium existed, and players were not as vocal. Now, stories are relied upon that are told from those around the league at the time, stories that have built up the era to a glorified level we have not seen before or since.
Behind the scenes tape and highlight videos are seen all the time of players practicing and even hanging out together, but for Jordan’s era fans had to go off the stories of his killer will, his aggressive approach with teammates and his unmatched work ethic. Through this ‘docu-series’ viewers have been able to see those things with our own eyes. It has shown Scottie Pippen arguing with team management, Dennis Rodman going on a mid-season bender and Phil Jackson bring them all together the way only Phil Jackson could. Most Importantly, fans get to see Michael Jordan and the epitome of what greatness looked like in the 1990’s.
Every basketball fan needs to see “The Last Dance” so they don’t miss out on an unprecedented event that has been 22 years in the making.
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