We're nearly halfway through the epic ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance,” and there are still so many more incredible stories to tell. Below we highlight five Michael Jordan-related storylines that we feel deserve their own place in one of the six remaining episodes of this documentary.
James R. Jordan Sr.
We all know how pivotal Michael Jordan's father, James, was in his life. In the first couple of episodes we were already given a brief background about how Michael grew up, and the type of household his father built. We'd like to hear more about this; perhaps a more in-depth look at Michael's personal relationship with his dad, and how this shaped him to be the person he is today.
Michael lost his dad on July 23, 1993. James was shot inside his car by a couple of criminals, who ran off with the vehicle as well as some of the victim's personal belongings. Michael was devastated. This heinous crime transpired barely a month after Chicago's first three-peat, and the general belief is that this tragedy was one of the reasons why Jordan decided to retire for the first time.
MJ's Hiatus Year
Speaking of his retirement, this is definitely a narrative that needs to be told. Michael Jordan spent a year in baseball and was criticized throughout the season. A look at how he actually performed with the Birmingham Barons — a minor league affiliate team of the Chicago White Sox — should pique the interect of viewers.
It would also be interesting if the documentary goes into the conspiracy theory about then-NBA Commissioner David Stern forcing Jordan to retire because of his gambling problem. This was never proven and has been debunked by other outlets, but “The Last Dance” is presented with a great opportunity to totally debunk this outrageous theory.
No. 45
After a mostly unimpressive season in the minor leagues (though he was improving as time went on), Michael Jordan made his triumphant return to the NBA. Everyone knows that he and the Bulls went on to win three more titles, but some may have forgotten about the 17 regular-season games he played at the tail end of the 1994-95 campaign, though the double-nickel game at Madison Square Garden is certainly one of his more memorable performances.
Jordan's return helped Chicago defeat the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the playoffs, but they eventually fell to a Shaquille O'Neal-led Orlando Magic team that went all the way to the NBA Finals that season.
Jordan opted to wear the No. 45 that season before reverting back to his beloved No. 23 during the series against Orlando. There should be a good story behind that decision as well, and we're pretty certain that more than a few folks would like to hear about this.
The Flu Game
We can't have a Michael Jordan documentary without at least having a brief discussion on his epic Game 5 performance in the 1997 NBA Finals.
Rumor has it that Jordan did not actually have the flu, but that he was intentionally food poisoned by the staff at their Utah hotel the night prior to the game. Again, this is another conspiracy theory that remains just as such to this very day.
What is certain, though, is that Jordan had one of his best Finals performance in his career while battling a sickness. Behind a huge 17-point explosion in the second quarter, Jordan finished the win with 38 points to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block.
The image of an overly exhausted Jordan clinging onto Scottie Pippen during this game is simply unforgettable. It was an excellent metaphor of Jordan's relationship with Pippen — arguably the greatest No. 2 guy of all time.
Final Perception
In one of his interviews leading up the the debut of the docuseries, Michael Jordan himself said that after watching, people are going to think that he's a “horrible person.” So far, there has been nothing so compelling to make us think this way of the legend. Is there a never-before-heard-of bombshell that's about to be dropped?
Could it be related to his extremely competitive nature and his almost ridiculously high expectations for his teammates? For one, former Washinton Wizards teammate Jerry Stackhouse came out earlier to say that he wished he never played with Jordan. Perhaps it is something along these lines?
Most importantly, is this potential bombshell big enough to make us all think differently of Jordan? He is revered as the GOAT by many, but was he really that bad as a person?
These are all substantial questions, and hopefully we will all get the answers we're looking for before the time the credits roll on the 10th and final episode.
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