The Last Dance gets its title from Phil Jackson's declaration at the beginning of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls season. After winning back-to-back titles and aiming for a second three-peat of the decade, Bulls' general manager Jerry Krause tells Jackson he will be rebuilding after the season regardless of whether the Bulls win another NBA title. Why would Krause and owner Jerry Reinsdorf not allow the Bulls to stay intact until the wheels fell off? For Reinsdorf, it's economics: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman alone would be too costly even on one-year contracts. For Krause, it tilts towards ego. Despite building a championship roster around Jordan, he believes he never received enough credit for the Bulls dynasty. By tearing down, starting over, and hopefully regaining the franchise's former glory, Krause can then claim to be the reason for the Bulls' success. After the 1998-99 championship season, Krause dismantled the Bulls and the team has yet to even approach the success of the Jordan Bulls. The 1997-98 season was indeed a last dance for this squad.
It isn't a spoiler to say the Bulls prevailed in their quest for a second three-peat with a Finals win against the Utah Jazz. The Last Dance documents the final year of the Bulls dynasty while flashing back to Michael Jordan's childhood, high school play, college dominance at North Carolina, and entering the NBA as the future best who ever played. You, of course, may dispute that Jordan was the greatest basketball player ever, but what can't be denied is his work ethic and ability to take any slight (real or perceived) and weave it into personal motivation to win. Jordan finds new ways to push himself, even when a former teammate scores 37 points against him one night in a playoff game, which the Bulls won by the way.
The Last Dance is ten episodes. Did it need to be so many? Perhaps not, but you can't say it isn't thorough. The spotlight is on Jordan, but his teammates Pippen, Rodman, Steve Kerr, and coach Phil Jackson are also highlighted with their own stories. Even former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are interviewed. Jordan's contemporaries Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas, Reggie Miller, and Magic Johnson are also included, and to this day Michael Jordan simply dislikes Isaiah Thomas, even though the feeling isn't mutual. This dates back to the Detroit Pistons' snubbing of the Bulls after the latter finally got over the hump and ousted their longtime playoff nemesis in 1991. The Pistons collectively walked off the court without shaking hands. Thomas spins this as a passing of the torch. Jordan feels it was poor sportsmanship. When the 1992 Olympic Dream Team was assembled, Thomas was left off the team. Did Jordan have something to do with that?
In the time before social media, Jordan became the biggest star on the planet through a combination of marketing and his unparalleled ability. During the 1992-93 season, rumors circulated of Jordan's alleged gambling miscues. When Jordan abruptly retired after defeating the Phoenix Suns in the Finals, rumors turned to speculation. Was Jordan secretly suspended by NBA Commissioner David Stern due to gambling? Jordan and Stern scoff at the idea, but when Jordan joined the Chicago White Sox minor league Birmingham Barons in 1994, this only fueled the conspiracy theory.
The Last Dance encompasses so much material that it's a fool's errand to encapsulate it all. Michael Jordan remains an imposing figure. He still is slow to forgive past trespasses, and his father's 1993 murder still weighs heavily on him. Former teammates state the only emotions Michael would usually show were anger and frustration. His will to win compelled him to become the de facto head coach in practice, and occasional bully. His sense of humor seemed only to extend to ribbing, but even that had a competitive edge to it. When asked if his will to win forced him to abandon being perceived as a nice guy, Michael's answer is simple, but his facial expressions reveal this is something he has still not come to grips with. It's as if his competitive drive overtakes him and he is powerless to switch it off.
Michael's children are briefly shown in interview clips and in footage, but there is little mention of them or his wives otherwise. How did his family react to their husband and father suddenly being adored by millions? How was it living in a pressure cooker world of fame and celebrity? The Last Dance skims past that, which is surprising considering its otherwise near total examination of its subject. Watching the playoff footage from years ago is still suspenseful even though we know the outcome. The Last Dance presents us with a complete story of sport, fame, and internal pressures which could turn both into a negative experience. The Last Dance presents the Bulls breakup as something akin to tragedy. Yes, it would have been fun to see if the Bulls could go for four in a row, but the team had other plans and there are far worse things to spend time contemplating.
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