Kobe Bryant talking about Michael Jordan in The Last Dance will surely be emotional for NBA fans not yet over his passing.
NBA and Michael Jordan fans are going to get a great source of entertainment over the next five weekends when The Last Dance becomes a weekly staple.
Slated to run each Sunday night on ESPN for two hours over the next five weeks, The Last Dance figures to be an unprecedented look into Michael Jordan’s final championship with the Bulls dynasty. At 10 hours in length total, it will be an overwhelming and stimulating docuseries that provides perspective and insight to the enigma that is Michael Jordan.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
Some of the world’s most famous are featured. Throwback clips of Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Seinfeld paint the picture of how captivating Jordan was in the late 90s not just in basketball culture, but in all areas of life.
The cuts in the trailers of sitdown interviews paint an even more exciting picture of what to expect. Jordan himself, Phil Jackson, Roy Williams, Pat Riley, Bob Costas, among many others.
And Kobe Bryant. Prepare to have your heartstrings tugged a little bit when he makes his appearance.
Bryant, who tragically passed away in a helicopter accident in late January, was a continual presence in Jordan’s story.
In an eerie scene at his public memorial at STAPLES Center in February, Michael Jordan himself delivered a touching and thoughtful eulogy of what Bryant meant to him.
Jordan called Bryant his little brother. He gave nuanced descriptions of the discussions he would have with Bryant and dealing with his sometimes agitating late-night phone calls seeking info on how to be the greatest man he could be.
Basketball fans surely had a hard time keeping their eyes dry during Jordan’s speech on Bryant. The Jordan-Bryant rivalry and brotherhood was one that depicted the passing of the torch, the changing of the guard for the NBA’s face.
Eerily, we’ll now get to hear what Bryant thought about Jordan just a few short months after his tragic passing.
It’s a scene we almost didn’t get, a scene that was finished just one week before Bryant’s untimely passing.
For the Kobe Bryant fans, he was interviewed for the doc and the scene/interview he appears in was completed just one week before his death. https://t.co/HqwZhTB7wB pic.twitter.com/z068fImHaL
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 13, 2020
It almost feels wrong to be looking forward to Bryant’s words on Jordan. It feels less than human to be ready to hear a now-deceased person’s words on a star player.
This, however, is an appreciation for basketball fans, a celebration of Bryant’s life continued, a celebration of the legend status he held, and a recognition of the rivalry and relationship between two of the greatest competitors that we have ever known.
It will be the perfect complement to Jordan’s touching eulogy on Bryant, a raw perspective from Kobe’s point of view to give us the greatest appreciation possible for their unique relationship.
The Last Dance is sure to tug at our heartstrings when Kobe Bryant makes his appearance.
What episode of The Last Dance will Kobe Bryant be in?
As of now, the producers of The Last Dance have kept Bryant’s sit-down interview appearance a secret. It’s possible he may show up toward the end, giving fans something big to look forward to in the final few episodes.
Episode 5’s teaser includes some shots of Jordan and Kobe acknowledging each other after a game on the court, but it appears Bryant’s appearance may simply be in passing in Ep. 5.
It’s impossible to say for certain. The best way to be sure you don’t miss Bryant’s appearance in TLD is by tuning in each Sunday!