The Last Dance, a documentary/miniseries about the ‘97-’98 Chicago Bulls, premiered last Sunday evening, but the first two parts were almost entirely about Michael Jordan. There were moments about Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson, but all roads lead to Jordan. His pervading presence in the film is a testament to his transcendence as a player and further evidence that he was the Chicago Bulls – the very reason Chicago is on the map today and why so many people love the game of basketball. There is no conversation of the greatest of all time in any sport without Michael Jordan. He may or not be on the top of your list, but the fact of the matter is that it is impossible to speak of GOATS and leave him out. 

One of the greatest aspects of the film, for me, was the access we are given to Jordan and what we learn about him from his peers, rivals, coaches and family, as well as what he reveals about himself. We see how everything – his competitive nature, his drive and his work ethic all stemmed from his family, growing up with a competitive brother and parents who instilled in him the value of working hard, never giving up and always giving it his all. They contributed greatly not only to the dynamic player he was, but the man he became. Jordan’s late father described his son by saying this: “If you ever want to bring out the best in Michael, tell him he can’t do something or that someone else is better than him.” 

My favorite moment of the doc thus far is when Jordan broke his foot in his sophomore year on the Bulls. He came down on his foot too hard during the game and broke a bone in his foot. I was surprised to learn that he’d never missed a game in the span of his high school, college and his NBA career until he injured that foot. But more interesting than that is the fact that Jordan’s injury was increasingly more dangerous because the bone that he broke in his foot had little to no blood flow. His foot was not supposed to heal for 6-12 weeks, but he couldn’t sit on the sidelines and do nothing. So, with permission from the Bulls’ front office, he returned to college, but what they didn’t know is that he was working out and playing pickup games and that the bone he broke, not only healed, but became stronger than the foot he hadn’t injured. There are things, like the rain, that fall on all of us and then, there are things that only happen to some of us and this was one of those things that only happened to Jordan. Sure, people have come back from injuries and improved, but I’ve never heard of anyone willing their bodies back into shape – let alone into better shape than it was previously in.

There are some people born with what the French call je ne sais quoi, which literally translates to “I don’t know”. It is essentially a quality that is so extraordinary that there are no words to describe it. Larry Bird himself characterized Jordan as God disguised as Michael Jordan. I said this to say that this documentary demystifies Jordan in a way – the secret to his success is beginning to unravel. The man was blessed, no doubt, but at the core of his greatness, of the wonder that made him who he was as a player, was his drive and work ethic. He embraced challenges and any obstacle that stood in his way – his height, his opponents and even an injury – were not obstacles for long.

Limits, like fears, are often an illusion is a Jordan quote – one that epitomizes his legacy. He had no fear and knew no limits. Limits, to him, were rules to be broken and notches to take higher. He changed the reputation of the Chicago Bulls and the way the game was played. He not only raised the bar on what we understand to be greatness, he transcended the game. Michael Jordan retired for the last time in 2003, but something about him inspires heated discussions and to this day, he remains the standard – someone we measure all players against. That is the mark of a great individual – someone that not only reminds us of the potential that lies within us, but inspires us to reach that potential and be our very best selves at all times. I, for one, cannot wait to see the remaining 8 parts of this documentary.