One of, if not the most iconic individual in the world of sports, Michael Jordan has long influenced the world of basketball and the culture surrounding the sport. Originally coined by the head coach of the Chicago Bulls during their incredible six year dynasty, the phrase “The Last Dance” signified the end of the six year dynasty. Thus, ESPN’s 10 part documentary attempts to capture everything that led up to this bittersweet moment and depict the intricacies of the greatest player and his team in NBA history.

The 10-part documentary has a large nostalgia factor for fans who witnessed Jordan’s historic title runs, capitalizing on the current lack of live sports to draw in massive audiences. However, beyond just the nostalgia factor for 90’s basketball fans, the documentary itself is intricate and dramatic, as it uncovers stories that few knew about during the six year dynasty. Driven by interviews with Jordan’s teammates, coaching staff and Jordan himself, the documentary reveals a very different image of the chemistry within the Chicago Bulls, and Jordan both as a teammate and leader. 

But most importantly, in my opinion what the documentary did best was its depiction of Jordan as a competitor. While the documentary captures Jordan’s greatness and success as a basketball player, it also weaves the story of Jordan as an ambitious, grudge holding and unrelenting person. Juxtaposing the narrative that the sixth championship was the perfect ending for Jordan and the Bulls, Jordan himself is portrayed as someone still unsatisfied, and fully still believing that a seventh championship was possible.

Yet despite some critics arguing that Jordan had too much influence on what was revealed and what was to stay buried, The Last Dance is certainly an entertaining watch for nostalgic Jordan fans and younger basketball audiences alike.