The Last Dance (Jonathan Daniel /Allsport)
The Last Dance (Photo by DANIEL LIPPITT/AFP via Getty Images)
ESPN’s “The Last Dance’ kicked off with parts one and two Sunday night. What did we learn about Michael Jordan and the ’97-’98 Chicago Bulls?
Sunday night, Chicago Bulls fans were able to see the first two installments of ESPN’s much-anticipated documentary, “The Last Dance.” The series documents the Bulls’ sixth championship season with Michael Jordan, before things changed drastically.
Parts 1 and 2 had us wanting more by the end, and we’ll get the next two episodes next Sunday night. But, for now, let’s look back at three major takeaways from the documentary’s first two parts.
1. The Bulls were a wreck before Michael Jordan
Before the Bulls drafted Jordan, the team was a complete mess — in every sense of the word. They weren’t just a losing organization, they were non-existent in the city of Chicago.
Part 1 taught us that the city was obviously crazy about the Chicago Bears, who would go on to have a legendary 1985 season of course. The North side loved the Cubs. The South side loved the White Sox. The Blackhawks had a fan base.
But, the Bulls? The stadium was maybe one-third full for games night-in and night-out.
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Enter: Jordan.
Now, it took a little time that first season before the team turned the city back in their favor. Jordan recalled one night, as a rookie, where the team was on the road. Jordan said he was walking up and down the halls of a hotel and finally knocked on a door, looking for his teammates.
He said when the door opened, he saw his teammates along with lines of cocaine, some smoking weed and, unsurprisingly, women. He said he saw things he had never seen before until that night in a hotel room. The Bulls weren’t just a wreck on the court, but off the court as well. They were a laughing stock.
Before the end of the season, though, the Bulls were selling out the United Center. All it took was one Michael Jordan, who would go on to win the 1984-85 Rookie of the Year.