3 takeaways from episodes 9 and 10 of The Last Dance, ESPN’s MJ doc

1. Talent made the Bulls champions. Resiliency made them a dynasty

The Flu — or food poisoning — Game. Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana. Game 6 of the 1998 Finals against the Jazz. Time and time again, the Bulls seemed spiraling towards defeat, but they always found a way to give just a little bit more to pull out a victory.

It didn’t matter that Jordan’s presence on the court was a miracle unto itself after ingesting an entire pizza or the searing pain Pippen’s back had him in in the title-clinching game of ’98. The fatigue levels of Chicago’s entire roster would’ve sent many to the point of no return after so much time spent playing into June.

Even when you know how the story ends, watching Jordan reach and find something to latch onto with every reason to plummet is the indescribable mysticism behind his GOAT status.

Many factors go into the makings of an NBA dynasty. Talent is a no-brainer. Luck is an underrated factor that seeps into health and cohesion.

Perhaps the most crucial element, however, is the sheer ability, both physical and mental, to maintain such a high level of play to put one in the position to compete for multiple championships.

Jordan had it thanks to a burning desire to win. Even if other members of the Bulls didn’t at times, that was all Chicago needed to keep chugging along until the job was complete. Every. Single. Time.