The Last Dance

Have you been watching The Last Dance, the Michael Jordan doco on Netflix?  It's very enjoyable and I guess there are a number of reasons. Firstly, watching Michael Jordan play basketball is very familiar. It's not that I watched heaps of bball in the 90s, though I did watch some. But I think he was so omnipresent that the way he moved is just in the brain of a 90s teenager and was roused by watching all that footage, like a memory jogged by a smell.

Second, he was so handsome. I had forgotten how handsome he was and the first few episodes, I had to really stop my self from exclaiming to LB every time the young Jordan came onto the screen - which was basically constantly.

Which brings me to the third point, which is that he really seems to be an arsehole and there is something quite disjointing about seeing an adorable smiling face evidently be such a d-bag which is supported by the now older Michael Jordan interviews. The present-day Jordan just looks like an old ex-athlete that thinks he is top shit and thinks his dbag behaviour was totally justified. Let me also make it clear that footage of the young Jordan also make it look like he was a dbag. There's no question he was a dick, but I guess there is just something weird about seeing this man across the ages. Also, it is basically not until the end of episode 8 that you can really see anything human about him. Maybe that's what is so disconcerting. The final three episodes he does seem more human, which is also sort of enjoyable. Also it's very disconcerting that even though you think you aren't identifying with Jordan, because he's such a douche, as you watch footage of the basketball games you still really want the Bulls to win.

I also very much enjoyed seeing the other '90s basketball stars. Like, as a kid I always just thought that Scottie Pippen was just a funny-looking second fiddle to Jordan. But now I kind of love him. He, like Jordan, could be a bit of a baby, but he has this nice calm demeanour, his team mates loved him, and now I think he was actually quite handsome too?! Whatever, he is certainly kind of adorable.

And how about Dennis Rodman?! In the '90s I just wrote him off as a show-pony with dumb hair, but now I see his importance as a player and the troubled soul that led to that classic bad-boy behaviour.

Also - watching basketball! As a person that really only watches a bit of tennis and AFL,  getting familiar with basketball was thoroughly enjoyable. Was it because I was only watching the peak teams of a peak bball period? Maybe but who cares, I loved it.

All in all, I give this show several out of some stars.