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Opinion | The Last Dance – perfect nostalgia for coronavirus times
- ESPN and Netflix’s global trip back in time to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls taught a new generation about NBA superstar
- Whether series was a hagiography or branded content to sell Air Jordans, it was utterly compelling television for captive audience
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So The Last Dance has been danced and the series delivered on what it promised: the Chicago Bulls did the repeat threepeat to win the 1998 NBA Finals and Michael Jordan was named Finals MVP.
It did more than that, of course. We all knew the ending in advance but it peeled back the curtain, or at least prised open the locker room door, of that team’s final season together.
It also shone the light on Jordan’s fine supporting cast of spiritual coach Phil Jackson, No 2 Scottie Pippen, part-time wrestler Dennis Rodman and the various game-winning role players from John Paxson to Steve Kerr.
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If it did anything, it is introduce a new generation to Jordan – and his shoes – and remind some of those old enough to remember just quite what an unstoppable force Jordan was on and off the court.
Not only has it done that within the confines of 10 episodes but it also kicked off a second wave of Jordan nostalgia.
Just in the last few days we have seen Allen Iverson recall his first meeting with Jordan – he called the rookie a “little b****” – and Jeremy Lin speak out about playing under him at the Charlotte Hornets, and arriving at the team in fear that their six-time NBA champion owner would take on the roster one-on-one after practice.
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