ESPN’s The Last Dance: Predictions for episodes 7 & 8

ESPN’s The Last Dance is embarking on its closing stages as episodes 7 and 8 looms Sunday. So what can we expect from them?

We’re slowly inching closer to The Last Dance’s final heartbreaking send-off, and man has it been one heck of a tango up to this point.

Last week’s episodes were headfirst deep dives into Michael Jordan’s whirlwind of gambling pitfalls and shortcomings, wrought with detailed accounts of some of his largest playing winnings and even greater alleged unpaid debts.

We were all fully aware that these less-than sultry portions of his life would be tackled at some point during the film. How could they not be?

But no one could’ve expected the depth with which Jordan was entrenched into the temptation’s endless abyss at the time his famous black sunglasses interview with Ahmad Rashad aired just before Game 1 of the 1993 NBA Finals tipped off – the same one in which he implored emphatically that he “did not have a gambling problem.”

Thousand-dollar card games. Apparent neglect of an excess of $500,000 in debts to an old golf buddy. And a tumultuous rocky relationship with a jerry-curl wearing, caddy-toting conman known as “Slim” Bouler. All seem indicative of remnants of an obsession.

It appears almost certain that his addiction – or lack thereof by his own labeling – will be further foraged as the program’s final curtain call slowly draws nearer. And from a time standpoint, we’ve gradually beckoned closer in chronological years to 1998 – which of course will mark the final get-down.

This seemingly leaves little up to questioning in terms of what will take place, especially since it’s already happened. But don’t tell ESPN’s filmmakers that.

For every correct prediction, I’ve made thus far for upcoming Dance episodes, there has been an equalling unbeknownst surprise coupled in conjunction along with it.

That’s only right though, for if we were able to accurately predict every single thing that was going to happen, there’d be little inclination to even tune in on Sunday. And in terms of viewership, The Last Dance is the number one special in America.

And the same trend can be expected for this week.

That doesn’t mean the world will go without my predictions piece though. The future’s always an immeasurable question mark when it comes to imminent happenings. But when has that ever stopped our brains from trying to fill in those blanks?