Tiger King is about to take a back seat to one of the most storied franchises in sports history.
Episodes one and two of a 10-part docuseries centered around the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls are set to drop Sunday, and the hype is real.
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, who covered the Bulls during their championships in ’96, ’97, and ’98, talked about his expectations of “The Last Dance” on Friday’s edition of The Dan Dakich Show:
“I was just in awe of what I was able to witness up close and personal. It is a fascinating look at all of it with extraordinary access that I had no idea was going on. They had these camera crews that were with them all the time…They’ve got footage that you’re not gonna believe.”
“I think people are gonna love it, and obviously it mostly revolves around Michael Jordan, who was the best player of all time, I think.”
There’s been talk that people won’t react kindly to the behind-the-scenes Michael Jordan they are likely to see in the series. Dakich asked Greenberg about why that is:
“The ones who are that driven, who are that tough on everyone around them…People know that he punched Steve Kerr in practice. People know that he called Will Perdue ‘Will Vanderbilt’ cuz he said he wasn’t good enough to deserve to have a name from the Big 10. Michael Jordan was tough on people because he demanded nothing but excellence from himself and he expected nothing but excellence, the maximum possible effort, from everyone around him at all times. And if he sensed he wasn’t getting that, he would let people know it. I think that probably doesn’t look so good when you get to see it.”
Greenberg has already watched the first two episodes.
Episode 1 focal points? Jordan’s childhood, his family, his time at North Carolina, and being drafted by the Bulls. Episode 2 highlights the beginning of the 1997 season, during which Scottie Pippen underwent controversial voluntary foot surgery. And that’s just the beginning.
The complete saga unfolds over five weeks beginning this Sunday at 9pm ET on ESPN.
The full interview with Mike Greenberg is definitely worth a listen. And while you’re at it, subscribe to The Dan Dakich Show Podcast.
