In 1998, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were on the hunt for their sixth NBA Championship. Set to premiere on April 19 in the US, ESPN and Netflix have collaborated to produce “The Last Dance”, the magnificent 10-part docuseries about the story of basketball’s defining star Michael Jordan’s “Last Dance” with the Bulls and the fight for their sixth title in just eight years.
As one of the world’s biggest sporting icons in Michael Jordan and one of the NBA’s best-performing teams in its history in Chicago Bulls, the director Jason Heir’s idea for the docuseries was to transport viewers back to that glorious era. But he doesn’t just focus on the glory, as a lot of struggle and lows came into play along the way. Looking back at Jordan’s childhood roots, his struggle in highschool to his eventual drafting in 1984 all the way to his very first Championship. The series takes the audience through the Bulls’ first five NBA titles in the lead up to the all-famous sixth during the immense success of the 90s, while showcasing the ups and downs, both on- and off-court, and the ever-present impact that Jordan and that Bulls team had on the sport as a whole.
“Michael Jordan and the ‘90s Bulls weren’t just sports superstars, they were a global phenomenon,”
said director Jason Hehir
By featuring never-before-seen footage from the 1997-98 season captured by an NBA Entertainment crew that Michael Jordan, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and head coach Phil Jackson agreed on, it’s only now after more than 2 decades that that footage is being released in “The Last Dance”. Hehir said that, “for nearly three years, we searched far and wide to present the definitive story of an era-defining dynasty and to present these sports heroes as humans. I hope viewers enjoy watching our series as much as we enjoyed the opportunity to make it.”
There is a larger story under that legacy-defining season that involves more than just Michael Jordan and a trophy. “The Last Dance” profiles key figures during that championship run including teammates Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr, and head coach Phil Jackson through countless interviews from past and present that display all the tension and conflict that was felt throughout.
“The Last Dance” will premiere on the April 19 in the US and on April 20 in Australia with two episodes released weekly:
Monday, 20 April – 12:01 a.m. PT // 6:01 p.m AEDT // 8:01 p.m NZDT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 1 and 2
Monday, 27 April – 12:01 a.m. PT // 6:01 p.m AEDT // 8:01 p.m NZDT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 3 and 4
Monday, 4 May – 12:01 a.m. PT// 6.01 p.m AEDT // 8:01 p.m NZDT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 5 and 6
Monday, 11 May – 12:01 a.m. PT // 6:01 p.m AEDT// 8:01 p.m NZDT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 7 and 8
Monday, 18 May – 12:01 a.m. PT // 6:01 p.m AEDT// 8:01 p.m NZDT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 9 and 10
