The Last Dance: Four predictions for episodes 5 and 6

1. Rest in peace, little bro

Spoiler alert: Kobe Bryant will make an appearance on The Last Dance. The film’s director, Jason Hehir confirmed the Mamba’s participation in the interview process for the documentary months ago in discussions with ESPN.

Bryant’s presence as one of the NBA’s all-time elite players would’ve made his inclusion in the film monumental in of itself. He had that kind of gravitational magnitude to his name, and his cementation as a premier basketball media mind post-retirement through ESPN’s Detail series coupled with his advocation for the progression and equality of the female side of the game only boosted his respect further within the basketball world.

It was the untimely and shocking nature of his death along with eight others in a helicopter crash this past January, though, that will multiply the weight of his featuring ten-fold.

Bryant and Michael Jordan had a special relationship.

Kobe arrived on the national scene as MJ was departing from it, and Jordan served as the ideal mentor and friend Bryant needed in his trek towards the peak pinnacles of success at the NBA’s highest level.

Jordan was the benchmark of greatness that Kobe set out to emulate, and ultimately surpass in carving out a name for himself among the game’s best. He mirrored Jordan not only in playing style with signature shoulder-shimmies, a patented turnaround jump shot and dazzling athleticism, but is likely the closest thing we’ve seen come to No. 23 in terms of work ethic.

His “mamba mentality” was Jordan-esque, a never-die, always try attitude that was consistently absent of any form of self-doubt. Kobe was the epitome of it all.

The first to arrive at practice and last to leave. The extra weight-room hours, and non-mandatory film study. The sacrifice, perseverance, and all-out will to be excellent. The two were likened souls in alternate bodies. “Different animal, same beast,” as Kobe put it so eloquently.

And Mike felt the same.

“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died,” he said at the Mamba’s memorial service back in February. “Rest in peace, little bro.”

But Kobe will live on, through the countless portions of time, energy and spirit he gifted to the world, and through the small piece of genius he lent to the production of The Last Dance.