NBA Entertainment had a massive task ahead capturing the crucial moments of a drama-filled Chicago Bulls for the creation of what would be The Last Dance docuseries. It all started with the ring leader, Michael Jordan, as executive producer Andy Thompson had to earn his respect.
Thompson recounted an anecdote during a recent Zoom meeting with Jordan:
Per Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic:
“I said, ‘Michael, remember when I came up to you (late in that ’97-98 season) with a list and you looked at me like I was crazy?,” asked Thompson in recollection. “I said this is a list of things that I think we need to capture before the playoffs start, because it’s going to be too intense to get this stuff off the court.”
“He looked at me like I was nuts. And I said the first thing was we want to get (footage of) you at home, you know with your family. I want to get you in a hotel room just being by yourself, doing whatever you do, just life away from the game. And I said I want to get you driving to the game, and the sixth thing is that I need your phone number.”
If it wasn't enough to have an ambitious list of requirements from the highest-paid player in the NBA, Thompson also asked for the most-covered superstar's phone number. Jordan would soon put him to the test.
“Jordan didn’t balk at any of the first five, but (on) the sixth, he goes, ‘Why do you need my phone number?’” Thompson continued. “I said, ‘Because you’re impossible to talk to alone. There’s always somebody in your ear. There’s always media. There’s always somebody around. And I need to run things by you just to make sure we’re good and if we’re comfortable with this.’ He looked at me, he wrote down his number and he slid the piece of paper to me.
“When he did that, I knew I had the ultimate respect and trust from Michael, because he doesn’t give his number out to anybody.’”
Film crews can be invasive at times, considering all the turbulence taking place for that 1997-98 Bulls team. However, Jordan was appreciative of Thompson's transparency and his willingness to keep things within his realm of comfort.
That candid approach ultimately won Jordan's respect, along with the eventual green light to bring this long project to fruition.
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