‘Last Dance’ hangover: What Jordan, Bulls documentaries to watch next

Delfin Dioquino

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‘Last Dance’ hangover: What Jordan, Bulls documentaries to watch next
Even after 10 episodes of 'The Last Dance,' basketball fans keep craving for more stories about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls

MANILA, Philippines – The Last Dance provided an in-depth look on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during their dominant run in the 1990s, getting all the bases covered from their early struggles to their rise as NBA champions.

But even after 10 episodes, basketball fans keep craving for more behind-the-scene stories about Jordan and the Bulls. 

Here are some documentaries to watch next:

 

 

1. Dream Team (2012)

It was revealed in The Last Dance that Jordan was already looking to retire after the Bulls won their second title but decided to postpone it partly due to playing for the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics.

This NBA TV documentary revolved around how Jordan linked up with other NBA legends like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley to form what is dubbed as the “greatest team ever assembled.”

Coming off a disappointing bronze-medal finish in the 1988 Olympics, USA tapped the services of the best NBA players and they did not disappoint, winning the gold medal in sterling fashion. 

The Dream Team is widely regarded for its cultural impact of significantly helping popularize basketball worldwide. 

 

 

2. Bad Boys (2014)

While the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys were considered villains for giving Jordan and the entire NBA a rough time during their peak, this ESPN 30 for 30 documentary showed they were also heroes in their own rights. 

Bad Boys explored the Pistons’ humble beginnings in the early 1980s and how they transformed to back-to-back NBA champions in 1989 and 1990. 

With the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics alternating championships in the 1980s, the Pistons had to fight tooth and nail – sometimes literally – to establish their place at the top of the NBA food chain. 

Also discussed in this documentary were off-court controversies that involved the Pistons, including Isiah Thomas being called a racist for saying Bird “would just be another good guy” if he were black. 

 

 

3. Jordan Rides The Bus (2010)

Jordan stunned not just the NBA but the entire world when he retired from basketball in 1993 despite leading the Bulls to their first three-peat just months prior.

What came next was Jordan pursuing a baseball career, which people close to him said was his way of honoring his father James, who was murdered in 1993. 

This ESPN 30 for 30 documentary followed Jordan during his time with the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, and how he persevered to prove that he can also thrive on the field. 

Personalities in Jordan Rides The Bus believed Jordan would have made the major league had he not decided to return to the NBA in 1995.

 

 

4. Playground (1990)

When it comes to Jordan montages, Playground is the show to watch. 

In this film-slash-documentary, Jordan returned to the playground to mentor a player who was cut from his high school team, the same fate the NBA icon suffered during his early basketball years. 

Jordan narrated the entire show, which featured his best dunks, game-winners, and other clutch plays. 

Several NBA stars appeared in Playground, among them Malone, Clyde Drexler, Tim Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Joe Dumars, and Horace Grant. 

 

 

5. Michael Jordan To The Max (2000)

Just like The Last Dance, this documentary released for IMAX centered around Jordan and his last year with the Bulls, who were seeking their sixth title and second three-peat in the 1997-1998 season. 

“His Airness” gave his insights about the Bulls’ hard-fought battles against the Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz in the 1998 playoffs as well as the other important parts of his career, like his shift to baseball. 

Also appearing in Michael Jordan To The Max are former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, former Bulls guard Steve Kerr, and actor Bill Murray, who co-starred with Jordan in the basketball film Space Jam– Rappler.com

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Delfin Dioquino

Delfin Dioquino dreamt of being a PBA player, but he did not have the skills to make it. So he pursued the next best thing to being an athlete – to write about them. He took up journalism at the University of Santo Tomas and joined Rappler as soon as he graduated in 2017.