Growing up as a Chicago Bulls fan, I had heard all sorts of stories about their dynasty team in the 1990s from my dad. He is a huge Bulls fan himself and was even present for the historic flu game against the Utah Jazz in 1997 — but as we learned from the show, it wasn’t the flu but rather food poisoning from a pizza place in Park City.
But just like any fan of the game, I was so excited to watch the docuseries about Michael Jordan, arguably the best to ever step foot on the court. I couldn’t wait to learn about what went on behind the scenes of the famous Chicago Bulls.
This isn’t the usual docuseries that sports fans have grown accustomed to. We are used to seeing a 30for30 or something much shorter, but this series ran ten one hour episodes consisting of content from behind closed doors.
Being able to jump from one season during the Jordan era, back to another time in his life — whether it be when he decided to play baseball or when he was in college ball at UNC — made the show that much more interesting. Factor in interviews from his teammates, opponents and other people he interacted with, and you get the perfect recipe for a documentary.
Besides the setup of the show, the content from within is what really makes it mesmerizing. Seeing how the team worked with all the ups and downs they had during this time period is what makes the series truly special. In addition, having behind-the-scenes videos from the crew Jordan hired is the cherry on top of this incredible production.
This series wasn’t only about Jordan — we also learned things about all the other key players on the team which made it more impactful. From the eccentric character, Dennis Rodman, to the emotional stories about Scottie Pippen and Steve Kerr, we really got to know these players on a much deeper level.
While occasionally it seemed as though Jordan was the villain of this story, the true villain was Chicago Bulls General Manager, Jerry Krause. While he was the mastermind that put together this legendary team, the comments he made before the start of the 1998 season showed that once he wanted something for the Bulls, he wasn’t going to stop until he got it. But one of the best moments of the series was when Jordan and the rest of the team called Krause out for being so short.
From watching this I have learned that Michael Jordan was ruthless when it came to the game he loved. He was so set on winning that he wasn’t afraid to do whatever it took in order to hoist the historic Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. No matter the setting, Jordan was able to find a storyline or a reason to play at 110% every single game. He always found someone to single out on the opposing team and made them suffer.
While we saw some of the unconventional methods he used to push his team to be the best, we also saw the man behind the hard facade — from the pain he went through when his father was murdered to the emotion he showed when he won his first championship he kept his promise to the city of Chicago. People have now witnessed that the man who was so feared on the hardwood actually had a heart.
Overall, this series was one of the best sports docuseries I have ever seen. Not only did it have the emotional moments from the Bull’s run, but it also included some more lighthearted moments to help all of us learn more about one of the greatest to ever play basketball. At the end of the day there are two things I will always remember from this — never, and I mean never piss Michael Jordan off and iPad MJ is one of the shining moments of 2020.
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