Trust me when I tell you that, of all major sports, pro basketball is my very least favorite. Actually, I hate it. Don't get me wrong. I know some of them are phenomenal athletes. But, from my POV, most of them are as dumb as door knobs. And they are often impossible to understand.
So, I was perhaps the least likely viewer to the ESPN miniseries "The Last Dance," which is all about Michael Jordan and the uber-successful Chicago Bulls team of the 90s. But I was intrigued when I heard Los Angeles Dodger players discussing the show on one of their Zoom calls. And then friends of mine, who are clearly not fans of the hoops either, told me how interesting it was.
I had nothing to lose but a little time. I was already behind the 8-ball as six of the ten episodes had already aired. How the hell was I going to catch up?
I am shocked to tell you how easy it was. I got sucked in like it was a Dyson vacuum cleaner. It was all oddly, oddly, oddly entertaining.
Don't get me wrong. Knowing that Air Jordan himself was one of the executive producers, I figured this was going to be...no pun intended...a white wash. That said, the fact that Jordan comes off as a bit of a jerk makes me think that he's an even bigger jerk and narcissist than I I thought. "The Last Dance," in a bizarre way, is another "Tiger King" except at a much higher salary level. Except for Head Coach Phil Jackson, no one is very likable. Scottie Pippen is a jerk. Dennis Rodman is a jerk. And Jordan, of course, has his own issues.
This non-NBA fan remembers vaguely some intrigue about Michael's gambling and the bizarre death of his dad. It is touched on here, but almost completely dismissed. Once again, who is the executive producer?
Even more curious is Michael's personal life. There's never a mention of a wife or a kid. This non-NBA fan wondered. Was he ever married or a parent?
Well, Wikipedia tells me about two different wives and a few kids. Yet, there is only one fleeting reference when old footage includes somebody telling Jordan that his wife is on the phone.
Why the omission? To respect their privacy? To prevent more questions? It is quite noteworthy in my book.
That said, I was captivated by it all. And there's actually footage of a playoff game against the Knicks, which marks the only time I ever went to a pro basketball game.
During a pandemic, "The Last Dance" is good television. If there was no Coronavirus, I probably would have ignored it competely.
Dinner last night: Leftover Chinese food.
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