The "The Last Dance" Thread

Viral screaming Pacers fan from The Last Dance was trying to get into Jordan's head

Oh, she's a Karen.

 

It’s like the joke about Springsteen concerts — more black people on stage than in the crowd.

 

The best players in basketball tried and failed to get in MJ's head. But yeah, Super Karen was going to pull it off.

 

She actually seems quite nice. What a fun day for her.

 

I can hear the Galifinakis voiceover (from The Hangover) "SHE'S A NICE LADY!!" (talking about Heather Graham, the stripper Stew married).

 

Her plastic surgeon is a wealthy man.

 

Hehir was on Dan Patrick this morning and said Malone refused and Bryon Russell never answered requests to talk.

 

It's interesting about Malone -- because at least through the doc you don't see him in a way that would make it understandable.

Jordan's retired and they are in Chicago and he goes by the facility to say hi; Malone goes on the bus after losing in the Finals to see him. That doesn't strike me as a guy who refuse. Hell Ewing talked and if there's one guy who would have said no it's him.

But Malone did retire and essentially just left. He showed up for his Hall of Fame induction a decade ago but outside of that it's like he's disappeared. You never see him on anything or at anything

 

I listened to the Hehir interview on Monday and he said Malone “declined.” That’s about the same as “refused” but a little different.

I doubt Malone turning down a request to do the doc was out of spite for Jordan. Malone has been pretty absent from public life since retiring and no one can blame him for not coming out to rehash the most bitter part of his professional life. I have to believe that these guys who never won a ring — yet were damn close — still have a hard time with that.

And Bryon Russell? Why would he want any part of that?

 

I thought the most interesting thing Hehir noted during this interview was the confluence of events that made Jordan this international icon. Of course he was he a legendary player, but he also came into the league the same time as a commissioner in David Stern who knew how to globalize the game. He came at the same time satellite television began carrying games all over the world, as American pop culture is proliferating around the globe and as televised tabloid journalism is at its peak.

 

Next up is Lance, and I will be interested to see if the "showrunners" [what an infinitely stupid word] get the perspective of Armstrong's teammates similar to what "The Last Dance" elicited.

Maybe that's a common thread of being successful in a team sport: You have to be a prick to your teammates.

 

Not necessarily. Ted Williams, famed as being a prick to media and many outsiders, was beloved by his teammates. Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady, there are all sorts of success stories of players who were well liked and got on well with their teammates.