When he explains that winning and leadership come with costs, few can argue with him.īut it’s also fair to ask whether the Bulls still would have won six championships even if Jordan hadn’t tormented Scott Burrell and Toni Kukoc and Jerry Krause the way he did. It’s a heck of a cinematic moment, and he might have a point. He may have been a tyrant,’” Jordan said. “When people see this, they’re going to say, ‘Well, he wasn’t really a nice guy.

Armstrong said Jordan “couldn’t be nice,” and Will Perdue said “he was an (expletive) he was a jerk,” and Steve Kerr said “Michael would just bludgeon everyone around him” - Jordan becomes emotional during a musical crescendo. That story includes some criticism of his maniacal methods, but always in the context of why they were necessary, and how his championship rings redeemed everything.Īt the end of the seventh episode - in which B.J. Even if he didn’t have complete creative control of the 10-part documentary that has served as the closest thing to a major sports event this country has seen in the past two months, Jordan is the hero of the story. “The Last Dance,” for better or worse, is the winner’s version of the NBA in the 1990s. But those who read history should do so with a healthy dose of curiosity, and an appropriate degree of skepticism about the winner’s account. attorney general William Barr told CBS News last week, and on that point he was exactly right.

“History is written by the winners,” U.S. I wonder if they realize that Jordan was exceptional not because he was willing to alienate his teammates, but because they recognized his transcendence and fought for him anyway.Īnd I wonder how long we’re going to hear people use “Be like Mike” as an excuse for being obnoxious. I wonder how many middle managers, Little League coaches and tech startup guys will decide that they too can win like Jordan, if only they become a little more demanding, a little more abrasive, a little more unyielding. But if the message of ESPN’s “The Last Dance” is that Jordan was a once-in-a-lifetime force - an extraordinary mixture of talent, drive and stubbornness that no one has seen before or since - I wonder if some viewers will miss it.

Sportnation be like mike