When my daughter recommended a documentary on Netflix, titled “The Last Dance,” I was skeptical. Documentaries are not my thing. I cannot remember the last time I sat down and watched a full documentary on anything. So, when she left it with a “Try it, you’ll like it,” I was intrigued.
After having watched eight episodes of The Last Dance, a sports documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls basketball team, I can assure you that it’s a show that you can binge-watch. As you can imagine, it does not touch upon any of my usual topics, squash, tennis, or tech.
If the show has not hit your radar, here’s a quick synopsis.
The Last Dance is a ten-part mini-series jointly produced by Netflix and ESPN that documents the Chicago Bulls’ championship run during the 1990s. Michael Jordan is rumored to have a stake in the show’s production. You can see the trailer below.
There are cameo appearances by President Barak Obama and numerous superstars of the era, such as Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and others who provide perspectives on Jordan and the Bulls.
Before I go any further, it is worth mentioning that I focused only on the entertainment value of the show. There is speculation in the media regarding the true motivation behind the documentary. Some have classified its narrative as biased, nuanced, and self-serving. However, there’s one thing that they all agree on; The Last Dance is a genuinely entertaining documentary.
Watch it for the nostalgia
At the outset, The Last Dance is a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
The show is not about how great a player Jordan was. It’s more about an organization’s last kick at the can before they become another also-ran team. The documentary is presented through a series of clips from the past, present-day interviews, and monologues. It captures the dynamics of a phenomenally successful organization struggling to come to terms with its uncertain future.
You can marvel at legends like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, whose incredible athleticism and talent will still make your hair stand on end. There is off-court drama from the likes of Dennis Rodman. There are rivalries, egos, internal conflicts, personal challenges, and conspiracy theories that make for good TV viewing.
The show gives viewers access to various aspects of the business, typically off-limits to casual fans.
The soundtrack of the show has garnered enough attention to merit its own playlist on Spotify.
Sirius by Alan Parson Project would jog some memories as the theme song that the Bulls played while introducing Jordan and the rest of the starting lineup.
There is a business lesson in there somewhere
The show reminds you that professional sports is just another business. Win-win seldom works for businesses. The negotiations and the posturing are akin to what you would find in other high-powered business environments.
Like employees in other industries, players have to secure their financial future and maximize their earning potential while minimizing the impact of unforeseen events. Decisions made at vulnerable moments haunt them throughout their careers.
From the team management’s perspective, players and coaches — even the great ones — are just a means to an end. Not all decisions made by the management sit well with the players and the coaching staff, the employees.
Sound familiar?
The ecosystem of professional sports
The media chasing headlines; sponsors looking for their golden goose; and the fans, who pay for it all, play their parts in the show.
The documentary is peppered with tidbits of surprising information. Adidas passing up on a shoe sponsorship with Michael Jordan in 1984, is not common knowledge. Nike, a much smaller company at that time, was apparently Jordan’s reluctant second choice.
Does Air Jordan ring a bell?
Revenues from the Jordan brand was pegged at $3.1 billion last year. Talk about a costly error!
To avoid spoiling it any further, I will leave it there for now.
If you are looking for a new show on Netflix, you should give The Last Dance a try.
Image Attribution: Jordan on a golf course in 2007 Barbara Moore
