RECAP – Ep 7 & 8: Five Takeaways from The Last Dance
Heres what happened on another thrilling 2 episodes of The Last Dance.
Tragedy Strikes
After facing scrutiny from the media about his gambling habits, and leading the Bulls to a 3rd straight NBA championship, Michael Jordan was mentally exhausted. Jordan was tired of being in the public eye and the pressures of fame, unfortunately, things were about to get worst for MJ. With the disappearance of his father, James Jordan. After several weeks of searching, the worst was confirmed. James’s body would be found in a river at the border separating North Carolina and South Carolina, the victim of a robbery/ murder.
Photo: Mike Fish/AP
James was driving late at night when he became tired, he pulled off to the side of the road, to take a nap. James would be awoken and shot, his car would be stripped and hidden and his body dumped in the river. Police would catch the 2 men behind this hideous attack. James’ murder would impact Michael greatly.
The media not yet done with trying to tear Michael down would push a narrative that MJ’s gambling habits could have possibly played a part in the death of James. But that didn’t stop hundreds of reporters, from cramming into the Betro Center on Oct. 6th, 1993 at a Bulls press conference.
MJ felt he had accomplished all that he could in the NBA by completing a 3-peat, feeling that he had no challenges left, he would announce his retirement from the game of basketball. Taking solace in that fact, that his father saw him play his last game.
From the Court to the Diamond
When MJ retired, the media again tried to paint Michael in a negative light, wondering if his retirement was really a secret suspension behind his gambling. NBA Commissioner David Stern shot down that theory denying any truth to a suspension being issued.
Michael’s retirement was part of a plan that MJ had since before the 92-93 season. Jordan was going to retire from the NBA and go play baseball.
Photo: Rob Tringal
In fact had it not been for the chance to do something that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, had not been able to do, by winning a 3rd straight championship, MJ would have retired after the 2nd championship. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf also owned the Chicago Whitesox and would sign Jordan to their minor league farm system.
Negativity would not deter Jordan, as he put in the same work ethic that turned him into the greatest basketball player in the world. As MJ transformed his basketball body into a baseball body. Jordan would begin to improve as a baseball player. He would drive in 50 runs and hit a .202 batting average. Certain people believe if not for the baseball strike in 94, MJ would have found his way into the major leagues.
Good Cop/Bad Cop
MJ’s work ethic never changed, when he went from basketball to baseball. His competitive nature meant he expected his teammates to have the same drive as he did. He would push his teammates to their limits, in practice. In Jordan’s mind, if they couldn’t handle a practice with him, then they would not be prepared for the pressures of big game situations in the playoffs and Finals.
MJ would mostly berate his teammates with trash talk, but sometimes it turned physical as Jordan famously punched Steve Kerr in the face, leaving him with a black eye. Jordan and Kerr’s relationship would grow from that point, as MJ knew he could count on Kerr. Jordan was hard on his teammates because he wanted to win, say what you want about his methods, but they worked.
Photo: Vincent LaForet
Scottie Pippen was the good cop to MJ’s bad cop. With MJ playing baseball, Scottie would become the leader of the Bulls. Pippen lead with a much softer approach than Jordan. Instead of scolding his teammates for their mistakes, Pippen would put his arm around them, giving them words of encouragement. Scottie’s way of leadership endeared him to many of his teammates.
Which is why the team would be shocked by Pippen’s actions in a game 3 of their playoff series vs the Knicks.
The Bulls were down 1 with 1.8 secs left to play. Phil Jackson would draw up a play for Scottie to inbound the ball, so Toni Kukoc could take the last shot. Scottie was irate, feeling he should be taking the last shot, and perhaps still feeling some ill will about Jerry Krause’s fondness of Kukoc. Pippen refused to enter the game, and watched the final play from the bench, as Kukoc would hit a shot at the buzzer winning the game for the Bulls.
There wasn’t much celebrating in the Bulls locker room, as the team felt that Scottie had quit on them, prompting a tearful speech from Bill Cartwright, to how Pippen let the team down. Scottie learned a hard lesson of the responsibilities of being a leader, and what impact his decisions would have on his teammates. Pippen’s teammates would accept his apology, but the Bulls would ultimately fall to the Knicks in 7 games.
Imagination
It’s well documented that, Michael would use any perceived slight against him for motivation. Like being compared to Clyde Drexler, or Charles Barkley winning the 92-93 MVP award. But, there are some cases that aren’t what they seem, take for instance when the Bulls played against the Washington Bullets in Chicago, MJ was having an off night, as the Bullets’ LaBradford Smith was on fire. Smith scored 37 points, but the Bulls would win the game. MJ would claim after the game, Smith came up to him and said “nice game Mike”. The Bulls would play the Bullets again the next night in Washington.
Photo: Rocky Widner
Jordan told his teammates, that he was going to have what Smith had in their last meeting by half time. Jordan would score 36 in the first half, and 47 for the game as the Bulls won the game by 25 points. It would come out years later, that Smith never said: “nice game Mike” or anything to MJ at all. Jordan made it up for motivation.
It’s another aspect that makes MJ the GOAT, whenever he needed an extra bit of motivation, he would simply make up scenarios, just to give himself that extra push to go out on a court with a mission to destroy the opposition.
Reality
Michael would use his imagination to motivate him at times in his career, but the 94-95 playoffs were as real as it got. With baseball going through a strike, Jordan would find his love for the game of basketball returning, and on March 18th, 1995, Jordan would issue two-word fax, “I’m back”. MJ would rejoin the Bulls after an 18-month absence from the NBA.
The long stint away from the court coupled with his body being in baseball mode, MJ wouldn’t quite look like himself, and it wasn’t the fact that he was now wearing 45. Although MJ would show flashes of his greatness, with a game-winner against the Hawks and a 55 point outing against the Knicks, Jordan’s rust would show in the playoffs. Against the Orlando Magic, Jordan would uncharacteristically have the ball stolen from him, by Nick Anderson. The steal would help the Magic seal the game, Anderson would then make the comment “45 isn’t 23”.
Photo: Brandon Richard
Michael would switch his jersey number back from 45 to 23. Hoping to use Anderson’s comments as motivation, unfortunately, Michael’s rust, and the upstart Magic, lead by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, was too much, and the Magic eliminated the Bulls in 6 games.
Michael would find motivation in defeat, instead of taking his usual off-season break, Jordan got back to working out with his trainer the very next day. Jordan would spend the summer working himself back into basketball shape. Over the summer MJ would shoot the movie Space Jam, only agreeing to do the movie, if he had a gym to work out at. Warner Bros. would build a gym on their studio lot, which would become known as the “Jordan Dome”. Various players from the NBA would come to the Jordan Dome, and run pick up games with MJ, in between him filming.
Photo: Barry Gossage
Jordan would be on a mission as the 95-96 began. Jordan would win the scoring title, All-Star MVP, and NBA MVP. The Bulls would meet the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals, and this time things would be different. The Bulls would sweep the Magic 4 games to 0. The Bulls would meet the Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp led Seattle Supersonics.
The Bulls would win the series in 6 games, winning their 4th NBA Championship and Michael’s 4th Finals MVP. Fittingly for MJ, the win would come on Father’s Day, dedicating the victory to his late father, MJ proclaimed “this is for daddy”.
There are just 2 episodes remaining!
Featured Image: ---
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.