The Last Dance: Episodes 5&6
6 episodes in and it’s safe to say that I’m obsessed. Episodes 5 & 6 did not disappoint. Episode 5 opens with a dedication to Kobe Bryant, the world lost Kobe this January after a tragic helicopter accident. Jordan’s tear-filled remarks at Kobe’s memorial was our first peek into their close relationship.
“The little Laker boy…”
We get to see the legends’ first meeting at the 98 All Star game. Locker Room talk before tipoff shows Jordan referring to Kobe as “The little Laker boy”…. But definitely giving him his props. Of course, Jordan wins the MVP, but as they walk off the court you can tell Bryant truly gained his respect. Flash forward to Kobe’s interview with director Jason Hehir. It still doesn’t feel real that he isn’t here. It was very bittersweet to see Kobe, in his own words, describing the big brother little brother relationship he and Micheal shared. Jordan became his advisor and mentored him through the game. Kobe even addresses the “Who would win a 1 on 1 game” question by saying, “He’s like my big brother. I hate having discussions of who’d win one on one. I feel like, yo , what you get from me is from him. I don’t get five championships without him because he guided me so much.” The GOAT talk should be over, right?
It was all a Dream…
Episode 5 also takes us back to the 92 Olympics and The Dream Team. Arguably the best men’s Olympic basketball team in history, the roster was full of all the greats – Jordan, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Pippen, Ewing. The Dream Team. The team went 8-0, beat every team by an average of 43 points to win gold. My favorite scene is the practice in Monte Carlo. The trash talk between Jordan and Magic was dope to watch.
There’s also an explanation of what is now the infamous medal stand photo of Jordan draped in the American flag. You can't expect Nike’s biggest spokesperson to take that history marking photo in a Reebok warm up. Not happening.
“If I could be like Mike…”
If you don’t know by now what makes Michael Jordan such a cultural icon, you get a quick crash course this episode. His greatness on the court naturally turned into lucrative endorsement deals. I remember eating Wheaties, which I to this day can’t stand, because he was on the box. Movies, books, and of course…the shoes. I had to have the shoes. The Last Dance covers the story of Jordan’s relationship with Nike, which almost wasn’t. Even though Converse was the major player at the time, Jordan wanted a deal with Adidas. If it wasn’t for his mom, Michael wouldn’t have even taken the meeting with Nike. I have Mrs. Jordan to thank for my favorite obsession. Nike put over 200k on the table, double what sneaker endorsement deals were known to pay at the time.
Air Jordan was born. Jordan was cemented into pop culture. His shoes have influenced everything from music, fashion, and of course art.
Marketing was no problem…the Banned 1s marketed themselves thanks to the NBA banning them from the court for the iconic colorway. But it was Spike Lee who took ads to the next level. He became the director for Nike’s Jordan ads. Art fully influenced by life. Lee’s character, Mars Blackmon, the Jordan wearing love interest in his debut film She’s Gotta Have It, became Jordan’s official hype man. “ Its Gotta Be the Shoes”
Speaking of shoes…Jordan pays homage to Madison Square Garden, the mecca of basketball, for his last game as a Chicago bull by lacing up a pair of Chicago Jordan 1s. Feet bloody, Jordan refused to take them off and went on to score 42 points.
The cost of fame…
Episode 6 focuses on the costs of becoming the cultural icon Jordan is today. Someone is bound to come for a pedestal built so high. That someone was sportswriter Sam Smith. Locker room secrets were given to Smith allowing him to paint a different picture of Jordan that fans and admirers weren’t used to seeing. in his book, The Jordan Rule, Smith painted Jordan to be a tyrant to his teammates- sometimes getting physical when practice weren’t goin in the winning direction. Even though there is always someone looking to find a crack in the armor, fans weren’t phased. I can remember my dad being unmoved, “They win don’t they?”
Of course, the gambling conversation has to happen. We see it in earlier episodes, there’s always money to bet and as wildly competitive as Jordan is, you can be positive the money bet is something the average man can’t even fathom. Controversy around his casino trip to Atlantic city during the 93 Eastern Conference Finals, gave critics plenty of fuel to call Jordan to the mat for the Bulls first two losses to the Knicks. There were talks of Jordan fixing games, the trial of a gambling associate, another tell all book, it was all too much and Jordan went silent to the press. Micheal talks candidly in the documentary about the stress of the spotlight, the constant scrutiny, and the desire to go behind closed doors. By the time the Bulls returned to Chicago for game three, Jordan was ready to break his silence. Interviewing with friend Amahd Rashad, Jordan addresses the gambling talk all in a pair of classic Ray Bans. Jordan tells Ahmad, “Soon, whenever I walk away from this game, I think that’s the only thing that people are going to say was a bad thing about Michael Jordan.” And so starts the retirement speculation. I can’t wait for episodes 6&7.
