COLUMN: Air Jordan back in the spotlight

     This past Sunday ESPN debuted its documentary, “The Last Dance,” a 10-part series about Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, keying on their sixth championship season in 1997. NBA Entertainment was allowed to follow the team throughout the 97-98 season.

     Sunday started out telling us about MJ as a youth, high school and college basketball player. We also found out about the Bulls management/ownership starting to consider a rebuild of the organization.

     Some players had hit their prime or were about to and with the blessing of majority owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, GM Jerry Krause started to put a plan in place to do so.

     When MJ found out about the plan, he went on record stating this team deserves to defend its title until it loses. Coach Phil Jackson was on a one-year contract for that season as well and Jordan also stated he wouldn’t play for any other coach other than Jackson.

     Part two spent more time on Scottie Pippen, who signed a seven-year contract as a rookie, denying him the opportunity to be paid closer to his value as his career moved on. Part two also reveals the injury to Jordan that kept him out of 60+ games, the Bulls denying him a return to action when it looked like they were not going to make the playoffs (management claimed a reinjury to his foot could be career-ending) and when he did come back, he was limited to seven minutes per half.

     Jordan ends the second season putting his team on his back and ultimately willing the Bulls into the playoffs, much to management’s dismay. If they would have not won their last game, they would have been one of seven teams competing for a lottery pick in the draft.

     We also learn more about Pippen’s role in part two, how he came out of nowhere and how much value Jordan put in Scottie as a teammate. Pippen started off the 1997 season injured, an injury he waited to have surgery on until after summer, in defiance of how management was treating him.

     Pippen was also rumored to have been on the trading blocks, adding more fuel to his dissent with the organization.

     Since the days of Michael Jordan, I’ve become disenchanted with the Chicago Bulls. For a brief time, I did engage the Derrick Rose era but that went by fast and without much fanfare due to countless injuries.

     I’ve never been a big fan of the Jerry and Jerry show that went on with the Bulls. Yes, they did their part putting together one of the greatest runs in any team sports era, but ever since, the Bulls have brought in players and coaches and turned around and shipped them off somewhere else.

     Next Sunday can’t some soon enough. I’m really looking forward to see how this series all plays out.