Even though there’s not much to report on the latest basketball events these days, we definitely have the opportunity to recall the times when Bulls was stealing the spotlight of every headline. Fans these days can enjoy in the 10-part documentary about the rise of Chicago Bulls, players’ fame, and chronicles. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls team allowed NBA Entertainment to follow them throughout the entire 1997-1998 season and document their final championship. The series features never-before-seen footage and interviews with more than 100 people close to the team. Episode 5 and 6 have just aired, and today we’ll cover the highlights and most interesting moments of the installments. If you missed the previous ones, they will be available via streaming hubs.
As we mentioned, the show centers on the Chicago Bulls 97/98 season, with a focus on the legendary Michael Jordan, coaches and management behind the scenes. This documentary puts a cap on what was one of the leagues’ most memorable basketball dynasties. Jordan, who is well known for his fierce and competitive play on the court has been pretty reserved and low key on the series until now. With several stories of controversy surrounding the golden time of Bulls, the six-time NBA champion has expressed worry that the footage will make him look bad in the public. However, he agreed it was time to have those recordings released.
Episode 5 and 6 were dedicated to the late Kobe Bryant and then returned to different topics. Two hours of pure entertainment, discussing the Shrug Game, the commercial deal with Nike, hiding the Reebok logo, the world-famous Dream Team, and the price of fame Jordan was forced to pay and live in. This episode provides absolute gems of footage, where Michael Jordan was talking about the “little Laker boy” referring to Kobe Bryant at the 1998 All-Star Game. He even added that if he were Bryant’s teammate, he would never throw him the ball.
The segment featuring Bryant relies on footage from the 98 All-Star Game which marked the Lakers debut. In the clip, you can see how Bryant studies Jordan’s game and asks him for tips to improve his jump. The scenes with Bryant and Jordan are quite emotional, given Jordan’s speech at the Bryant memorial service in which he described the star as his younger brother.
Episode 6 gives us a close up of the speculations about Jordan’s temper and gambling habits. We are back in 1993 when the Bulls were going for their “three-peat” in the NBA championship. Securing this title would have established the team as one of the all-time greats. For Jordan to lead the team to success would mean that he is one step closer to becoming one of the greatest players to ever play this game.
Jordan became a global brand and media mogul. As a multi-millionaire, Jordan had plenty of money to spend and play with. His competitive nature gave him plenty of opportunities to win big at the casino venues. He expressed his admiration for poker and blackjack and showed equally impressive strategy and skill at the casino venue. Today, however, casinos have transferred their popularity and glamour in the online space. There are plenty of themed online casino games, with basketball and Michael Jordan being in the spotlight. From sports and entertainment to adventure and wildlife like the Gorilla Gold Megaways slot game – choices and preferences are up to you.
There is great footage in episode 6 exploring Jordan’s thoughts on the gambling. One sequence will definitely turn out to be the next big anecdote. When asked if he has problems with controlling the urge to gamble, he responds that it’s not the problem in the game, but in the competition. This is illustrated by footage where Jordan plays dices with a Bulls employee and loses. You notice he is visibly annoyed, not because he lost the bet but because of the feeling of losing in general.
The additional media scrutiny starts to take its toll on Jordan. Despite winning his 3rd consecutive championship with Bulls, he appears tired and exhausted from the experience. These feelings are very interesting to analyze. You can certainly feel that winning the championship represents more like a relief than actual achievement as if certain norms and expectations had to be reached at any cost. As final thoughts, it appears that the best competitors are not the ones who like to win, but ones that fiercely hate to lose. This show is a must-watch, giving an overview of an era and a dream team that lived the time of their lives. It provides an insight into the life and mindset of a global icon, role model, brand, and above all-flawed human being.
