I began watching the NBA right after one of the most historic decades of basketball - the 90s. It was the early years of the new millennium, and new stars were emerging. I started tuning in right around the 2002-2003 season, watching a 40-year old MJ playing for a different team. Growing up, I idolized two players; Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, both of whom happens to consider Jordan as their basketball hero.
Even before I started watching the NBA religiously, I already knew who the greatest of all-time was. I remember as a kid when we would visit my grandfather's place, the replay of the Jazz and Bulls 1998 series was almost always on the television. I remember watching Jordan's final game wearing a Bulls uniform, ending with that iconic push off shot on Bryon Russell. At home, my father has a copy of "Ultimate Jordan", a two-disc DVD set that features five best-selling Michael Jordan documentaries - "Come Fly with Me", "Michael Jordan's Playground", "Air Time", "Above & Beyond", and "His Airness", including a bonus feature; a countdown of his Top 10 Greatest Moves, Top 10 Dunks, Top 10 Shots, and Top 10 Assists. My father loved showing it off to people who would visit the house after playing basketball, he'd showed them who the G.O.A.T. was. So even though I was a decade late, his moves, his stories, are embedded in my mind growing up.
Heading into "The Last Dance" my expectations weren't high. I thought it would be just a mere piece of fan service, a refresher course on my knowledge of the greatest basketball dynasty. But I was gladly mistaken, amazed even. Besides the fact that it contains an exhaustive amount of detail and expertise, the structure - which interweaves the rise of the Bulls in the late 80s up until the crescendo of the final shot that sealed their sixth championship in the 90s, while seamlessly jumping back and forth to different timelines and different stories of key players and coaches - is truly effective in making this docuseries look fresh, insightful, and entertaining. They managed to fit it all in a 10-hour show and it's hard to imagine that they left out some significant details when you consider the fact that the roster of interviewees ranges from Carmen Electra to Barack Obama. There's no narration except for a few important title cards, the stories are being told by the players and the people who lived it. The soundtrack captures the energy of the 90s, the score is moving and uplifting and I love the fact that every episode (with the exception of the last) has a goosebump-inducing cliffhanger.
"The Last Dance" didn't come up short in capturing the essence of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, the cultural impact of Michael Jordan that changed the landscape of professional basketball forever, but most importantly, it gave me a much-needed context to the numerous Michael Jordan highlights I saw as a kid.
Even before I started watching the NBA religiously, I already knew who the greatest of all-time was. I remember as a kid when we would visit my grandfather's place, the replay of the Jazz and Bulls 1998 series was almost always on the television. I remember watching Jordan's final game wearing a Bulls uniform, ending with that iconic push off shot on Bryon Russell. At home, my father has a copy of "Ultimate Jordan", a two-disc DVD set that features five best-selling Michael Jordan documentaries - "Come Fly with Me", "Michael Jordan's Playground", "Air Time", "Above & Beyond", and "His Airness", including a bonus feature; a countdown of his Top 10 Greatest Moves, Top 10 Dunks, Top 10 Shots, and Top 10 Assists. My father loved showing it off to people who would visit the house after playing basketball, he'd showed them who the G.O.A.T. was. So even though I was a decade late, his moves, his stories, are embedded in my mind growing up.
Heading into "The Last Dance" my expectations weren't high. I thought it would be just a mere piece of fan service, a refresher course on my knowledge of the greatest basketball dynasty. But I was gladly mistaken, amazed even. Besides the fact that it contains an exhaustive amount of detail and expertise, the structure - which interweaves the rise of the Bulls in the late 80s up until the crescendo of the final shot that sealed their sixth championship in the 90s, while seamlessly jumping back and forth to different timelines and different stories of key players and coaches - is truly effective in making this docuseries look fresh, insightful, and entertaining. They managed to fit it all in a 10-hour show and it's hard to imagine that they left out some significant details when you consider the fact that the roster of interviewees ranges from Carmen Electra to Barack Obama. There's no narration except for a few important title cards, the stories are being told by the players and the people who lived it. The soundtrack captures the energy of the 90s, the score is moving and uplifting and I love the fact that every episode (with the exception of the last) has a goosebump-inducing cliffhanger.
"The Last Dance" didn't come up short in capturing the essence of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, the cultural impact of Michael Jordan that changed the landscape of professional basketball forever, but most importantly, it gave me a much-needed context to the numerous Michael Jordan highlights I saw as a kid.
Tell Your Friends