In the middle of the 2020 lockdowns, we all basically became obsessed with a guy who hadn't played a professional game in nearly two decades. It was weird. It was also perfect.
The Last Dance Michael Jordan wasn't just a documentary series; it was a cultural lifeline that pulled 6.1 million viewers per episode on average during its ESPN premiere. It felt like we were all back in 1998, huddled around the TV to see if the Chicago Bulls could actually pull off a second three-peat. But now that the dust has settled and we've had a few years to digest it, the "truth" of the series has become a lot more complicated than those grainy VHS highlights let on.
Why The Last Dance Michael Jordan still creates drama
If you think the documentary was a 100% objective history lesson, honestly, you've been played. Director Jason Hehir did an incredible job, sure. But we have to talk about the elephant in the room: Michael Jordan had final cut. Adam Silver, who was the head of NBA Entertainment back in the 90s, has been open about the fact that the 500 hours of never-before-seen footage sat in a vault for decades because Jordan wouldn't give the green light. He finally said yes in 2016. Why then? Some people—including several former teammates—think it was a calculated move to remind everyone he’s the GOAT, especially as LeBron James was cementing his own legacy.
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The drama didn't end when the credits rolled. Scottie Pippen, the man Jordan famously called his "best teammate of all time," was beyond livid. In his 2021 memoir Unguarded, Pippen basically called the series a "propaganda piece" that treated the rest of the team like props in Jordan's personal movie. He wasn't the only one. Horace Grant went on the record calling the doc "90% BS."
The "Flu Game" vs. The "Pizza Game"
One of the most iconic moments in the The Last Dance Michael Jordan narrative is the legendary Flu Game. You know the one—Game 5 of the 1997 Finals, Jordan looking like a zombie, leaning on Pippen for support, yet somehow dropping 38 points.
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The documentary finally "confirmed" what many suspected: it wasn't the flu. It was food poisoning. Jordan’s trainer, Tim Grover, describes five guys showing up to deliver one pizza to Jordan’s hotel room in Utah. It felt sketchy then, and it feels sketchy now. Jordan ate the whole thing himself. By 2:00 AM, he was in the fetal position.
Critics of the documentary, like filmmaker Ken Burns, argue that because Jordan's own company, Jump 23, helped produce the series, we only get the version of events Jordan wants us to have. Was it really five shady guys with a tainted pizza, or just a bad case of the stomach bug? We’ll never truly know, but the "Pizza Game" makes for a much better story.
The stuff that didn't make the cut
While the series felt exhaustive, it sort of glossed over some pretty major parts of MJ's life.
- Juanita Vannoy: Jordan's wife during the entire Bulls dynasty was almost entirely absent from the footage.
- The Wizards Years: The doc ends with the 1998 trophy, completely ignoring the fact that Jordan came back and played for Washington a few years later.
- Luc Longley: The starting center for the second three-peat was barely interviewed, largely due to budget and travel constraints (he was in Australia), which Longley later admitted was a bummer.
The psychological cost of winning
The most uncomfortable part of watching the The Last Dance Michael Jordan wasn't the losses; it was seeing how MJ treated his teammates. The footage of him berating Scott Burrell or the stories of him punching Steve Kerr in practice showed a side of leadership that was, frankly, borderline pathological.
"Winning has a price," Jordan says in one of the most famous clips of the series, his eyes visibly red and watering. He was a tyrant because he couldn't understand anyone who didn't want it as badly as he did.
This is where the documentary actually succeeds as a piece of film. It doesn't totally sanitize him. It shows a man who was so consumed by competition that he invented slights—like the "LaBradford Smith story" where Jordan made up a quote from an opponent just to get himself angry enough to destroy him the next day. It’s fascinating and a little bit terrifying.
How to use the "Jordan Mindset" today
You don't have to be a billionaire athlete to take something away from the series. The "Last Dance" isn't just about basketball; it's about the end of an era and how to handle the pressure of expectations.
If you're looking to apply some of that MJ energy (minus the punching teammates part), here is how to actually do it:
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- Find your "Why": Jordan’s "why" was being the best, period. Identify your core driver before you start a project.
- Stay in the Moment: Phil Jackson used Zen Buddhism to keep the Bulls from looking at the finish line. Focus on the possession you're in right now.
- Audit your Circle: Jordan succeeded because he had a "supporting cast" that accepted their roles. Make sure the people around you are aligned with your goals.
- Embrace the Conflict: The Bulls didn't always like each other. That’s okay. Healthy friction can lead to better results if handled correctly.
The series is still available on Netflix and ESPN+ if you want to re-watch it with a more critical eye. Watch it again, but this time, look at the faces of the other players when Jordan is talking. That’s where the real story is.