Chicago Bulls: 3 things you need to know before Ep. 1 of The Last Dance

1. Time was running out for Chicago Bulls

One of the most underrated parts of this documentary is that it will have a thematic feel of a ticking time bomb within the Chicago Bulls organization, of working against the clock.

It was speculated that this was going to be the final year for Phil Jackson as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, and Michael Jordan was adamant that he would not play for any coach but Jackson.

Owner Jerry Reinsdorf wanted to move things forward and enter a rebuilding and recalibrating period. The Bulls would certainly be competitive in this season with the level of talent they had on the roster, but there would be no second chance for them. This was their final shot to win another title in this era.

Everything is heightened when there’s no second chance. The stakes are higher, the pressure is more intense. The increased tension leads to actions and words that might be in the moment and extremely dramatic.

It’s not as if Jordan was a young NBA player with many years ahead of him. He had already retired once and taken a few years off to play baseball. In all likelihood, this was the end of his championship years.

Add these high stakes onto Jordan’s already high expectations for himself and those around him and of course there will be chaos.

Let the chaos begin on Sunday night.