Takeaways From The Last Dance

• MJ is probably the greatest competitor I've ever seen (Brady? Kobe?).
• Jordan's competitiveness turned into a lot of pettiness.
• I'm disappointed that Jordan had to approve it and his production company played a role in producing it. While it was entertaining and a fun watch, it's not a documentary, it's a tribute.
• Did the timeline jumping back and forth drive anyone else crazy, or was it just me?
• Tough for Phil to get laryngitis on interview day.
• Still believe we conflate winning and individual ability way too much.
• MJ's teammates deserve a ton of credit. The edge that he brought every day could not have been easy to deal with.
• Great old-school hip-hop soundtrack "Scenario," "I Got It Made," "Can I Kick It?" "The Choice Is Yours," among others. Well done.
• We didn't really learn much that we didn't already know.
• Jerry Krause is unfairly skewered. Look at the moves he made to put the dynasty together - he belongs in Springfield.
• Scottie Pippen should have been more mad at his agent than Jerry Krause.
• Sam Bowie averaged 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks per game for his NBA career.
• Phil Jackon's ability to manage personalities within the dynamic of a team are second to none.
• For a great read on his approach, pick up Jackson's "11 Rings."
• I thought MJ popped Kerr in practice, not Will Perdue. Or was it both?
• The Dream Team scrimmage footage was the best inside look of the entire show - a game some have called the greatest basketball ever played.
• I thought Jordan's answer on the "Republicans buy sneakers too" comment made sense and was genuine. He said it off the cuff on a bus to some teammates, and he never saw himself as an activist. His energy was as a basketball player. You don't have to agree with it, but I thought it was authentic.
• The "you might want to be MJ for a day," but not for longer than that comments are still repulsive to me. C'mon man.
• I loved how after that pick-up game in Barcelona, people started to realize the torch had been passed.
• Why did we have to put a college player on that team again?
• Sure, Mike, Rod Thorn called you and told you Isaiah wasn't going to be on the team.
• As a native New Yorker and a big Knick's fans in the '80s and '90s, having no sports on TV right now and seeing nothing but Bulls dynasty highlights from 25 years ago is a nightmare.
• Willow Bay talking about how the Reebok issue with the Olympic uniforms showed us how "competitive" Michael was made me want to puke. Either that, or he really liked money.
• Scottie Pippen didn't come across as a great teammate - waited on surgery until the season started so as not to ruin his summer, and sat out the last play of a playoff game because he wasn't getting the ball. And then said he wouldn't change a thing. Yikes.
• The fact that there was once a narrative that Jordan was a great individual scorer who couldn't lead his team to a championship should tell you why that narrative should never exist. It's only a story until you win, and then it's dropped.
• Krause hiring Tex Winter and Phil Jackson, and bringing along the triangle offense, doesn't get enough publicity.
• "I don't want Bill Cartwright with the ball with 5 seconds to go on the clock... that's fucking stupid."
• Not a fan of the "this documentary shows the young generation why Jordan was the best ever" narrative at all.
• I'm surprised about the response to Jordan's "leadership style" being so positive. Jordan's talent was the number one element in his "leadership style." He was the best in the game, so he could behave however he liked without fear.
• How about the fact that he showed up to play in the Olympics with his golf clubs? I'm sure other players did too. Think about being so good at a sport that you can represent your country in the Olympics, and bringing your equipment to play another sport while you are there.
• We remember Jordan's attempt at baseball as a failure, but what he did that year was actually very impressive.
• Acting like Rodman was a great teammate to have or someone that could be counted on is a joke. They made it work with him, but great teammates don't constantly put their team at risk. I don't care how many rebounds they can get.
• How much scotch did MJ drink during his interviews?
• It's hard for me to look at what you are saying as authentic when you had to approve it all and your production company helped produce it.
• You know what, Mike, I could handle being MJ for more than a day.
• BJ Armstrong was an NBA All-Star?
• Michael didn't come across as very likable to me. Cannot deny his talent, competitiveness, and success. But just doesn't seem like a person I'd like.
• Someone has to explain to me why they went with the flu instead of just saying it was food poisoning.
• Really, Tim Grover, you "had a bad feeling" about the pizza before he ate it?
• The depths to which MJ would reach to create a competitive edge for himself were truly mind-boggling.
• Come on with the jump ball with 7:00 to play in a 3-point game in game 7 was the key to beating the Pacers. Pretty sure the Bulls would have found a way.
• The "We had the better team, I really do believe that," from the team that just got beat is pretty tired.
• Luc Longley and Greg Ostertag got the same amount of burn in this documentary. What did Luc ever do to MJ?
• "Scottie was hurt, so I had to take all the shots, I had to bring all of the energy." MJ has some ego.
• It's hard to celebrate Dennis Rodman. Did so many things that hurt his team, both on the floor and off.
• Usually when a unique situation like his works out, it's not because of the players, it's because of the rest of the team.
• Phil Jackson was brilliant at not inserting his own ego into difficult situations.
• Getting on the other teams bus to congratulate them after a big game is more about you than it is about them.
• Winning is hard. Even for the teams that made it look easy.
• He has to be the most relentless competitor we've ever seen.