The Last Dance (miniseries)
The Last Dance | |
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Genre | Television documentary[1] Miniseries |
Directed by | Jason Hehir[2] |
Composer | Thomas Caffey |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 |
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Cinematography |
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Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 48–50 minutes |
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Original release | |
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Release | April 19 May 17, 2020 | –
The Last Dance is a 2020 American sports television documentary miniseries co-produced by ESPN Films and Netflix. Directed by Jason Hehir, the series revolves around Michael Jordan's career, with particular focus on the 1997–98 season, his final season with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The series features exclusive footage from a film crew with an all-access pass to the Bulls, and interviews of many NBA personalities, including Jordan's teammates (Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr) and then-Bulls head coach Phil Jackson.
The series aired on ESPN from April 19 to May 17, 2020, in the United States, while its episodes were released on Netflix internationally the day after their US airings; beginning on May 23, two episodes were aired back-to-back on ESPN's corporate partner ABC. ESPN2 aired an alternate version of the series intended for family viewing, which removed most of the profanity heard in the episodes. The series became available on Netflix on July 19, 2020.
It received critical acclaim, with praise for its directing and editing, and also for the timing of the release - during the initial weeks of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic when viewers were desperate for entertainment.[3][4] The Last Dance won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
However, the series received heavy backlash from Jordan’s former Chicago Bulls teammates for its accuracy and narratives. Much of the hostility stemmed from the expectation of a documentary exclusively about the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls season, yet unfolded to be primarily a biography of Jordan’s personal life and sports career. It also was criticized for portraying multiple key players of that era in an unfairly negative fashion, while simultaneously giving excessive preferential treatment to Jordan.[5]
Synopsis
[edit]The docuseries gives an account of Michael Jordan's career and the Chicago Bulls, using never-before aired footage from the 1997–98 Bulls season, his final season with the team.[6]
Interviews
[edit]This is the list of the 90 persons interviewed for the documentary, ordered by air time.[7]
- Michael Jordan
- Scottie Pippen
- Phil Jackson
- Steve Kerr
- Jerry Reinsdorf
- David Aldridge
- Dennis Rodman
- B. J. Armstrong
- Mark Vancil
- Reggie Miller
- Michael Wilbon
- Andrea Kremer
- John Paxson
- Sam Smith
- Horace Grant
- Rick Telander
- Ahmad Rashad
- Tim Grover
- Rod Thorn
- Deloris Jordan
- Bill Wennington
- Doug Collins
- David Falk
- Isiah Thomas
- Magic Johnson
- Toni Kukoč
- Will Perdue
- Barack Obama (as former Chicago resident)
- J. A. Adande
- George Koehler
- Brian McIntyre
- Bob Costas
- Todd Boyd
- Larry Bird
- John Salley
- Gary Payton
- David Stern
- Ann Kerr
- James Worthy
- Joe O'Neil
- Roy Johnson
- Chip Schaefer
- Kobe Bryant
- Tim Hallam
- Jalen Rose
- Charley Rosen
- Charles Barkley
- John Stockton
- Roy Williams
- Tisher Lett
- Willow Bay
- Carmen Electra
- Bill Cartwright
- Jud Buechler
- Jim Stack
- Mike Barnett
- Scott Burrell
- Terry Francona
- Brendan Malone
- Danny Ainge
- Howard White
- Melissa Isaacson
- Ronnie Martin
- Rod Higgins
- Glen Rice
- Patrick Ewing
- Ronnie Jordan
- Hannah Storm
- Steve East
- Larry Jordan
- Billy Pippen
- Fred Lynch
- Buzz Peterson
- Sidney Moncrief
- Nas
- Ron Harper
- John A. Hefferon
- Bill Clinton (as former Arkansas Governor)
- Pat Riley
- Adam Silver
- Marcus Jordan
- Joe Kleine
- Charles Oakley
- Jasmine Jordan
- Justin Timberlake
- Billy Packer
- Ron Coley
- Joe Pytka
- Kevin Loughery
- Jeffrey Jordan
Episodes
[edit]No. | Title | Directed by | Original air date [8] | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
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1 | "Episode I" | Jason Hehir | April 19, 2020 | 5.73[9] | |
Flashbacks chronicle Michael Jordan's college and early NBA days. The Bulls make a preseason trip to Paris amid tension with GM Jerry Krause. | |||||
2 | "Episode II" | Jason Hehir | April 19, 2020 | 5.12[9] | |
Scottie Pippen rises to become one of the NBA's best players. An injury early in Jordan's career shows distrust with Bulls management. | |||||
3 | "Episode III" | Jason Hehir | April 26, 2020 | 5.31[10] | |
Dennis Rodman's attitude and energy help the team win, but bring the drama off the court. The Bulls struggle to overcome the Pistons in the late '80s. | |||||
4 | "Episode IV" | Jason Hehir | April 26, 2020 | 4.86[10] | |
Phil Jackson's unique philosophy and demeanor take the Bulls to the next level. The team finally gets past Detroit and earns a shot at an NBA title, which is a dream matchup against Magic Johnson and the Lakers. | |||||
5 | "Episode V" | Jason Hehir | May 3, 2020 | 4.91[11] | |
From Air Jordan and Be Like Mike to the 1992 NBA Finals and the Olympic dream team, Jordan becomes a global cultural icon unlike any other. | |||||
6 | "Episode VI" | Jason Hehir | May 3, 2020 | 4.44[11] | |
A revealing book and scrutiny of his gambling put a dent in Jordan's reputation, but he remains focused on winning a third straight title in 1993. | |||||
7 | "Episode VII" | Jason Hehir | May 10, 2020 | 4.41[12] | |
Crushed by the death of his father, a mentally exhausted Jordan retires in 1993 – to play baseball. The Bulls move on with Pippen in the lead role. | |||||
8 | "Episode VIII" | Jason Hehir | May 10, 2020 | 4.16[12] | |
Jordan's return energizes the Bulls, the city and the NBA, but a playoff loss in 1995 fuels him to work harder than ever to get back on top; this is rewarded with their fourth NBA championship over Seattle in 1996, after a record-breaking 72-win season. | |||||
9 | "Episode IX" | Jason Hehir | May 17, 2020 | 5.02[13] | |
The Bulls face stiff challenges to their reign in 1997 against Utah and in 1998 versus Indiana. Role player Steve Kerr makes his mark on the dynasty. | |||||
10 | "Episode X" | Jason Hehir | May 17, 2020 | 4.59[13] | |
Battered and exhausted, the Bulls conclude their "Last Dance" with a sixth championship. Jordan, Jackson, and others reflect on the end of their dynasty. |
Production and release
[edit]The series features interviews and never-released footage from the 1997–98 Chicago Bulls season. Over 500 hours of all-access footage was filmed and used to create the 10-part documentary series. According to Adam Silver (now NBA Commissioner, but then the head of NBA Entertainment), Jordan allowed the filming with the agreement that the footage would only be used with his direct permission. After many years, and many refusals from Jordan, he agreed in 2016 to a documentary proposal from Mike Tollin.[14]
ESPN and Netflix announced their joint production of the 10-part documentary series in May 2018,[6] with the first official trailer being released on December 25, 2018.[15][16] The release date was pushed back to June 2020 after another trailer was released in December 2019.[17][18] However, because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, ESPN published the final trailer on March 31, 2020 and expedited the premiere to April 19, 2020, releasing the following statement:[8]
As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience. We've heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve been able to accelerate the production schedule to do just that. This project celebrates one of the greatest players and dynasties ever, and we hope it can serve as a unifying entertainment experience to fill the role that sports often play in our lives, telling a story that will captivate everyone, not just sports fans.
The series was released weekly from April 19, 2020 to May 17, 2020, with two episodes airing each Sunday.[8] Outside of the United States, the episodes were released on Netflix the day after their ESPN airing.[8] ESPN2 aired a censored version of the documentary alongside the ESPN broadcast.[19] The censored version was also aired on ABC.
According to Hehir, Jordan refused to film interviews in his home to maintain privacy. The interviews were filmed in three houses, one rented by the production and two others which were homes of friends of the production.[20] The fifth episode is dedicated to Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. Bryant's interview was featured in the episode's opening.[21]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 97% based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 8.85/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A compelling and comprehensive portrait of one of basketball's great teams, The Last Dance's blend of archival footage and candid interviews confirms there's nobody quite like Mike or the team he led to victory."[22] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 91 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[23]
Writing for Consequence of Sound, Robert Daniels gave The Last Dance a perfect score, calling the series "beautifully composed and edited together" and a "pulsating celebration of greatness."[24] Similarly, Alex Pattle of The Independent praised director Jason Hehir, writing that "Hehir's fear of being formulaic fosters a compelling freshness, and his ability to subtly segue between tones ensures Jordan's auras of magnetism and intensity are highlighted at the appropriate moments",[25] while Brian Lowry of CNN gave the series five stars out of five, saying that "it's a very, very deep dive, but for fans who will eat this stuff up, it hits all the right notes."[26]
Chicago Sun-Times's Richard Roeper gave the series three and a half stars out of four, writing that "while some might question whether even one of the great team sports dynasties of all time merits such a lengthy treatment, if anything each episode left me wanting more. Not only were the Bulls a team for the ages, they also gave us a sports soap opera for the ages."[27] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter gave the series a positive review, writing that "it's a tremendously engaging, ridiculously fun assemblage of spectacular basketball footage and reasonably introspective interviews with almost everybody you'd hope to hear from on the subject."[28] Writing for The New York Times, Wesley Morris wrote that "Hehir has this trick where any time someone says something debatable or controversial or simply worthy of running by [Michael] Jordan, he hands him an iPad and makes him watch what was said. And every time Hehir does it, Jordan turns the reaction into gold. He's an incredulous Zeus in these moments, lightning bolts falling from his toga as he laughs, zapping lesser gods."[29]
Conversely, filmmaker Ken Burns criticized Michael Jordan's involvement in the production of the series, saying that "if you are there influencing the very fact of it getting made, it means that certain aspects that you don't necessarily want in aren't going to be in [...] and that's not the way you do good journalism." Specifically, Burns pointed to Jordan's production company, Jump 23, being listed as a partner in the series.[30] Hehir would respond to such speculations stating "I ran into zero stop signs in the editorial process. Michael was involved, but in a distant satellite-level while making it. He never came close to the editing room and only received cuts as they were about to go on air. I think Michael is above the fray when it comes to what he wants in and out.”[31]
Criticisms By Ex-Teammates
[edit]While the series drew positive reactions from many current NBA players,[32] many former teammates of Jordan expressed strong criticism for the series’ version of events, placing the blame on Jordan.[33]
Scottie Pippen was reportedly "wounded and disappointed" by his characterization, though he did not make any public remarks during the documentary's airing.[34] Pippen later denied any rift between himself and Jordan over the documentary;[35] however, he told Jordan he was not pleased with the docuseries and considered it to be "about Michael trying to uplift himself”. [36]
Pippen would continue aggressively criticizing Jordan in the following years. In 2021, he wrote a tell-all autobiography, Unguarded, to explain not only his own Hall of Fame career, but also his side of the story during the Bulls' storied dynasty. In the book, he was highly critical of Jordan, designating him as a major scapegoat and target of heavy resentment.[37] In other interviews with different media platforms, Pippen also stated that he thought Kobe Bryant was a better basketball player than Jordan,[38] and then added that Jordan was a “horrible” player, a selfish ball-hog, and had poor shot selection.[39]
Horace Grant expressed a belief that the documentary was edited to favor Jordan, remarking that the series was "entertaining, but we know [...] that about 90% of it [was] BS in terms of the realness of it"; he also denied Jordan's accusation that Grant was the source for The Jordan Rules and agreed that Pippen was portrayed unfairly.[40]
Grant also explained on Bill Cartwright's podcast that he initially planned to decline the interview offer, as he was not a member of The Last Dance team. However, after much persistence by the production crew, Grant finally "reluctantly" conceded to interview because he wanted to reminisce about his glory days as an NBA star, from his undeniable contributions building the Bulls into a perennial championship contender, to the continued success he had with other teams later in his career. He then said he took an outspoken stance about his disdain for the documentary because he wanted to defend his character and did not agree with the veracity of Jordan's version of events.[41] Grant then doubled down on Jordan by ranting his frustrations about Jordan and the docu-series in a lengthy phone call with Shannon Sharpe. [42]
Bill Cartwright, the starting center on the Bulls’ first three-peat team, and an assistant coach on The Last Dance team, was reportedly unimpressed with the series, citing it as pure entertainment[43] and refused to let the series distort his own personal version of events.[44] Cartwright also explained in another interview that Jordan had been framing a bogus image to the public, and called his play-acting “silly.”[45]
Craig Hodges, a member of the first two championship seasons with the Bulls, said he felt disappointed about not getting an opportunity to interview for the documentary, and further criticized Jordan for commenting about the team's use of cocaine during the 1980s, which was also another subject that was not related to The Last Dance season. On the cocaine topic, Hodges remarked, "I was thinking about the brothers who [were on the team] with you who have to explain [what happened] to their families”.[46][47]
Some expressed disappointment over the omission of starting center Luc Longley in the series, including Longley himself. In 2021, an episode of Australian Story, titled The Last Dance ‘Missing Chapter’, was released with Longley's response, including interviews with ex-teammates such as Pippen and Jordan. The documentary developed into a major success in its own right.[48]
Following the successful reception of Longley’s documentary, the Bulls organization released an additional feature documentary of a key backbone for The Last Dance team, versatile sixth man Toni Kukoc. The documentary was titled, “The Waiter,” paying tribute to Kukoc’s nickname acquired in his native country of Croatia, and was also highly acclaimed by viewers.[49]
Others also expressed disappointment in the lack of coverage of another starter on that famous Last Dance team, point guard Ron Harper.[50] Harper was only included for a few seconds talking about his time playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989 when he expressed disagreement with his coach for not assigning him to defend Jordan during The Shot,[51] but never was shown discussing his role as an invaluable cornerstone of the second three-peat. Harper had started all 82 games during The Last Dance season.[52]
There was also criticism on the overemphasis of Steve Kerr—a minor player on the Bulls last championship team—which was linked to his recent success as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, with it being compared to if ESPN did a documentary on the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers and placed Tony Dungy (who like Kerr had a successful head coaching career but a forgettable playing career) in the same company as Joe Greene, Franco Harris, and Jack Lambert. Kerr himself admitted that they emphasized him more than what was needed, and also did not condone the ignorance of Longley and Harper in the series.[53][54]
Some experts even came to the defense of Jerry Krause, criticizing Jordan for intentionally delaying the start of the production until Krause passed away in 2017 in order to prevent him from being able to explain his own version of events. Sports Illustrated, who previously blasted Jordan for pursuing a sabbatical in professional baseball during his NBA prime,[55] continued to criticize Jordan in another objective analysis by questioning his handpicked narratives during the docu-series, calling him “cruel”, and said Krause deserved better treatment in the series.[56]
US ratings
[edit]For the 2019–20 television season, the show tied for fifth among adults 18–49 in the Nielsen ratings with This Is Us, averaging a 2.9 rating and 15 share. It also placed 55th in total viewership, averaging 6.71 million viewers. Variety dubbed the show's performance a "consolation prize" for ESPN given the network's struggle to find live sports.[57] The series also became ESPN's most-watched documentary.[58]
The Last Dance : U.S. viewers per episode (millions)
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot (ET) | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Episode I" | April 19, 2020 | Sunday 9:00 p.m. | 2.6 | 5.73 | 0.6 | 1.51 | 3.2 | 7.25 | [9] |
2 | "Episode II" | April 19, 2020 | Sunday 10:00 p.m. | 2.3 | 5.17 | 0.7 | 1.62 | 3.0 | 6.73 | [9] |
3 | "Episode III" | April 26, 2020 | Sunday 9:00 p.m. | 2.3 | 5.31 | 0.8 | 1.68 | 3.1 | 6.99 | [10] |
4 | "Episode IV" | April 26, 2020 | Sunday 10:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 4.86 | 0.9 | 2.04 | 3.1 | 6.90 | [10] |
5 | "Episode V" | May 3, 2020 | Sunday 9:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 4.91 | 0.8 | 1.78 | 2.8 | 6.68 | [11] |
6 | "Episode VI" | May 3, 2020 | Sunday 10:00 p.m. | 1.9 | 4.44 | 0.9 | 2.00 | 2.7 | 6.43 | [11] |
7 | "Episode VII" | May 10, 2020 | Sunday 9:00 p.m. | 1.9 | 4.41 | 0.9 | 1.88 | 2.8 | 6.29 | [12] |
8 | "Episode VIII" | May 10, 2020 | Sunday 10:00 p.m. | 1.8 | 4.16 | 1.0 | 2.23 | 2.8 | 6.39 | [12] |
9 | "Episode IX" | May 17, 2020 | Sunday 9:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 5.02 | 0.8 | 1.75 | 2.8 | 6.77 | [13] |
10 | "Episode X" | May 17, 2020 | Sunday 10:00 p.m. | 1.9 | 4.59 | 0.9 | 1.98 | 2.7 | 6.57 | [13] |
Accolades
[edit]Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AAFCA Awards | August 22, 2020 | Best Documentary | The Last Dance | Won[a] | [59] |
American Cinema Editors Awards | April 17, 2021 | Best Edited Documentary (Non-Theatrical) | Chad Beck, Devin Concannon, Abhay Sofsky and Ben Sozanski (for "Episode 1") | Won | [60] |
Cinema Eye Honors | March 9, 2021 | Outstanding Broadcast Series | The Last Dance | Nominated | [61][62] |
Outstanding Editing in a Broadcast Film or Series | Chad Beck, Devin Concannon, Abhay Sofsky and Ben Sozanski | Nominated | |||
Creative Arts Emmy Awards | September 14, 2020 | Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series | Jason Hehir, Michael Tollin, Estee Portnoy, Curtis Polk, Connor Schell, Gregg Winik and Andrew Thompson | Won | [63] |
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program | Jason Hehir (for "Episode 7") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program | Chad Beck, Devin Concannon, Abhay Sofsky and Ben Sozanski (for "Episode 1") | Nominated | |||
Golden Reel Awards | April 16, 2021 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Documentary | Keith Hodne (for "Episode 1") | Nominated | [64] |
NAACP Image Awards | March 22–27, 2021 | Outstanding Documentary – Television | The Last Dance | Won | [65] |
Producers Guild of America Awards | March 24, 2021 | Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television | The Last Dance | Won | [66] |
TCA Awards | September 14, 2020 | Outstanding Achievement in News and Information | The Last Dance | Won | [67] |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Rosenthal, Phil (August 15, 2019). "ESPN offers a peek at their '30 for 30' documentary on Dennis Rodman: 'A much more complex and nuanced picture emerges'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Chavez, Chris (December 24, 2019). "ESPN's Latest Trailer for 'The Last Dance' Features Michael Jordan, Bulls Legends, President Obama". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "'The Last Dance' - The untold story of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls". May 19, 2020.
- ^ "ESPN's New Michael Jordan Documentary Is Exactly What We Need Right Now. Here's How They Made It". April 14, 2020.
- ^ "'The Last Dance' is over, and now Michael Jordan's ex-teammates are lining up to bash the documentary". Insider.com.
- ^ a b Christie, Jennifer (May 18, 2018). "ESPN Films, Netflix Announce Multi-Part Documentary The Last Dance featuring Michael Jordan" (Press release). New York, New York: ESPN. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "Who got the most air time in the Michael Jordan documentary?". HoopsHype. May 19, 2020. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "'The Last Dance' documentary set to air April 19 on ESPN". NBA.com. March 31, 2020. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Pucci, Douglas (April 29, 2020). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'Disney Family Singalong' Leads All Unscripted Offerings in Raw Lifts". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Pucci, Douglas (May 8, 2020). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'Will & Grace' Series Finale Tops All Comedy Telecasts in Overall Raw Gains". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
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- ^ a b c d Pucci, Douglas (May 29, 2020). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: '9-1-1' Third Season Finale Leads All Telecasts in Total Viewer Lifts". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Shelburne, Ramona (April 18, 2020). "An all-access Michael Jordan documentary? How 'The Last Dance' was made possible". Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ Espinosa, Joshua (December 25, 2018). "Here's the Thrilling New Trailer for ESPN's Michael Jordan Documentary 'The Last Dance'". Complex. Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ @ESPNNBA (December 25, 2018). "Cannot. Wait" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Tigg, FNR (December 24, 2019). "Latest Trailer for Michael Jordan Doc 'The Last Dance' Features Barack Obama, Nas and More". Complex. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "ESPN Documentary 'The Last Dance' About Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Gets a New Trailer". Maxim. December 24, 2019. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (April 15, 2020). "ESPN Plans Two Versions of Much-Anticipated Michael Jordan Documentary (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Guerrasio, Jason. "Michael Jordan refused to be filmed in his own home for 'The Last Dance' — here's where the basketball legend's interviews took place". Insider. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ Kasabian, Paul (May 2, 2020). "'The Last Dance' Episode 5 Will Be Dedicated to Kobe Bryant". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ "The Last Dance (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "The Last Dance (2020)". Metacritic. CBS. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Daniels, Robert (April 18, 2020). "TV Review: Michael Jordan Takes No Prisoners in ESPN's Incredible Docuseries The Last Dance". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Pattle, Alex (April 20, 2020). "The Last Dance: Michael Jordan documentary is an enthralling piece of television". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (April 17, 2020). "'The Last Dance' hits the right notes with its look back at Michael Jordan and the Bulls". CNN. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (April 15, 2020). "'The Last Dance' captures the dominance and the drama of '90s Bulls dynasty". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (April 14, 2020). "'The Last Dance': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Morris, Wesley (April 19, 2020). "In 'The Last Dance', Michael Jordan and the Bulls Still Dominate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan (April 30, 2020). "Ken Burns Slams Michael Jordan Doc 'Last Dance': 'Not the Way You Do Good Journalism'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ "Kevin Harvick on Winning Nascar's Return Race; Shaquille O'neal on "The Last Dance" - Quotes from Today's Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico and the Rich Eisen Show on NBCSN". May 18, 2020.
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- ^ "'The Last Dance' is over, and now Michael Jordan's ex-teammates are lining up to bash the documentary". Insider.com.
- ^ MacMullan, Jackie (May 7, 2020). "Dennis Rodman defends Scottie Pippen from 'Last Dance' criticism". ESPN. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
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- ^ "Scottie Pippen: 'I told Michael Jordan I wasn't too pleased with The Last Dance'". the Guardian. December 6, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ "'Scottie Pippen Takes Aim at Michael Jordan in New Book". The New York Times. November 3, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ "Scottie Pippen Explains Why Kobe Bryant Was Better Than Michael Jordan". July 11, 2020.
- ^ "Scottie Pippen says Michael Jordan was 'horrible to play with' on Chicago Bulls, more focused on scoring over winning". NBC News. May 30, 2023.
- ^ "'Lie, lie, lie': Former Jordan teammate gives withering assessment of The Last Dance". The Guardian. May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "The Bill Cartwright Show EP8: Horace Grant". YouTube. December 29, 2020.
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- ^ "The Final Dance - Former Bulls React to The Last Dance - BetOnline.ag". YouTube. May 21, 2020.
- ^ "'The Last Dance' is over, and now Michael Jordan's ex-teammates are lining up to bash the documentary". Insider.com.
- ^ "Former NBA player Bill Cartwright talks about what playing with Michael Jordan was really like". YouTube. May 13, 2020.
- ^ Aviles, Gwen (May 6, 2020). "Michael Jordan's former teammate slams the basketball star's 'cocaine circus' comments in 'The Last Dance'". NBC News. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Craig Hodges blasts Michael Jordan for cocaine comments in 'The Last Dance'". Chicago Sun-Times. May 6, 2020.
- ^ "'Luc Longley's Chicago Bulls legacy". ABC. August 16, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ ""The Waiter" - A Toni Kukoč Story: Kukoč's role in the Last Dance and more!". YouTube. October 30, 2021.
- ^ "'Steve Kerr 'a little' disappointed by key absences in 'The Last Dance' – NBC Sports Bay Area & California". NBC Sports Bay Area. August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Ron Harper recalls wanting to guard Michael Jordan on 'The Shot' in 1989 playoffs".
- ^ "Ron Harper Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more".
- ^ "Why Michael Jordan's The Last Dance Was Slightly 'Embarrassing' for NBA Vet Steve Kerr". October 25, 2020.
- ^ "'Steve Kerr 'a little' disappointed by key absences in 'The Last Dance' – NBC Sports Bay Area & California". August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Michael Jordan: His baseball career got off to a slow start in White Sox camp - Sports Illustrated Vault".
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