The Last Dance Four Years Later!

The Last Dance!

What a weird time it was, COVID-19. Businesses, restaurants, and theme parks closed as the whole world shut down. There was a lack of sports entertainment as the NBA shut down for the remainder of the season. It left NBA fans dying for content. Then ESPN decided to put out the "Last Dance." We follow the legend of Michael Jordan. Hearing stories of his journey adds to the aura of the goat. It was peak entertainment. Memes and discourse were everywhere. While MJ saw praise everywhere, it seemed like many of the players, apart from the doctor, took offense. Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant seemed to have real problems with Mike and ESPN and the way they presented them. As I am rewatching, I keep thinking about their grievances. Are Pippen's grievances legit? Or was he overreacting? Was the documentary too rough on Krause? Was the documentary too much, Michael?

There is no denying that Michael Jordan was the main attraction of this documentary. He is the biggest star in the sports industry and transcends beyond the sport of basketball. He has the biggest shoe brand in the world. MJ was the faces of companies such as Gatorade, Hanes, and McDonald's. I enjoyed listening to old players. Legends like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Isiah Thomas. They talked about going against him. How hungry he was to win a championship! He was willing to beat anyone in his way. His motivation goes beyond basketball. It is something anyone can implement in everyone's daily lives. MJ had all these charismatic attributes. He made the documentary worth watching.

Michael Jordan was the star of this movie. Watching him talk about his competitor was entertaining. He was hungry to beat them. The documentary did well. It highlighted how Michael was hungry for greatness. Starting from his high school days to the end of his professional career. It also highlights the early stages of his career, where he faced the narrative that he couldn't win. That he could only get individual accolades but not championships. He learned team basketball after Doug Collins was gone. He had catered the offense to MJ, but Phil Jackson changed all that. Phil brought the triangle where MJ became a leader. The documentary praised his greatness on the court. It also praised his business ventures and his teamwork. He faced some harsh criticism for not speaking up on political matters in his state. Jordan's treatment of his general manager, Jerry Krause. While the documentary did praise MJ rather than criticize, it was a fair deal for all the players apart from it. But it seemed like Scottie was not a fan of the document.

The "Last Dance" documentary in my second viewing seemed fair to Scottie Pippen. Michael Jordan went on to say that without Scottie, he would not win those championships. The underdog from Arkansas was able to become one of the biggest stars in the league. It highlighted how Scottie was the first "point forward." It did a good job of highlighting how far ahead he was. His development to become the greatest number two in NBA history. Praising his defense against Magic Johnson in their first finals runs. But he ate sh*t for a lot of antics during that time. He did not want to play in the 1997–98 season due to the crappy contract he signed. People called him selfish because of his antics. Which I agree with. Scottie should have played. He could have proven he's worth the money he deserves. Instead, he sat out for part of the season. But I did not agree with MJ when he was talking about the migraine game. I understand it was frustrating, but it was wrong to question his health. He had an ego problem throughout his career. We saw it when he led the team after Jordan retired. So I find it crazy that he took offense.

The documentary hurt Scottie's ego. He did not like how others viewed him for accepting an awful deal. Jordan's first retirement hurt his ego. Instead of taking the praise he got throughout the document, he instead took offense to criticism. Nobody is ever perfect. Pippen's many faults were highlighted. While the documentary did a good job of giving Pippen his flowers, saying that he had hunger, How he rose to the top. It seemed like pointless outrage from the former star. The document went harder at ruining the image of the late General Manager Jerry Krause.

Jerry Krause was the villain of the documentary. The way he was insistent on breaking up the iconic team was due to his ego. The way he chased away the greatest coach in league history was due to his ego. Along with ruining his relationship with Scottie Pippen during the 1997–98 season. Michael Jordan never liked him or wanted to give him flowers. Krause's problem was that he was prideful. He wanted to get his flowers and be the center of the dynasty, rather than letting MJ be the face of the organization. Jerry had a huge ego and was insecure, which ruined everything.

Instead of getting praised for his talent and personality, Krause has now become known for ending the Bulls dynasty. The empire fell within itself. They gave him flowers for signing Dennis Rodman. Nobody wanted him due to his antics. He also brought in one of the greatest sixth man of all time, Toni Kukoc. Along with bringing Phil Jackson and implementing the triangle system, Jerry Krause was one of the greatest minds in NBA history. A true legend and a student of the game. Sadly, his insecurity and ego killed off what was great. It is depressing to see his wife booed out of the game this year. Krause deserves his flowers for making the Bulls one of the greatest franchises ever. It stinks to see nobody acknowledge his greatness. I wish the documentary portrayed the late GM in a good light. Due to that documentary, Krause will never get the love he deserves.

The Last Dance is one of the greatest sports documentaries of all time. Highlighting the legacy of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Seeing the rise of the greatest team of all time. Chicago represented the 1990s, which people viewed as the best era to live through. Seeing Dennis Rodman's crazy life was fun to watch. He attended WCW events and parties in Vegas. Scottie Pippen gets credit as one of the greatest players of all time. Yet he faced harsh criticism from the franchise players. His contract situation and his questionable behavior put him in a negative light. Along with Horace Grant, who felt attacked by getting called "snitch." He did not get credit for being a key player in the Bulls' early run. Jerry Krause was the butt of the doc. Throughout the doc, people insulted him many times. He did not get the flowers he deserved. He created a team that dominated for a whole decade. It was fun to watch "Last Dance" and hear MJ's story. But it could have painted a better story for other personnel. Scottie Pippen's grievances are valid. But he could have addressed them to MJ. It was an overreaction by the former star as he got his flowers. The doctor should have portrayed Jerry better and given him his credit. Yes, the document was too much, Michael, but that is what we wanted. Everyone wanted to see the greatness of the charismatic superstar. Everyone wanted to be Mike. He was the face of the 1990s and the NBA. That is what makes "Last Dance" the greatest documentary ever.

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