“The Last Dance” documentary has rocketed around the sports world and has quickly become the most popular sports documentary of all time. The mysterious and almost god like aura around Michael Jordan has captivated millions of watchers across the globe. There are many reasons why this documentary has become so popular. One of which is the lack of sporting events which means that every fan is treating this documentary like a sporting event. NBA twitter is doing what they do during games with the added benefit of current and former players chiming in as well. For many generations, Jordan has been an idol, a figure to aspire to be. No one has managed to be Jordan, but many have come close. Kobe Bryant built his game just like Jordan in an attempt to surpass him as the greatest to ever play, but he came up short. LeBron who many believe to be the second greatest of all-time has spent the last several years chasing after Jordan. 

The Mystique around Michael Jordan hasn’t always been there. When he came into the NBA in 1984 he was just a wide eyed 21 year old with big aspirations. Jordan came into the league on a mission. In his rookie year, he averaged 28 points per game, was an all star, won rookie of the year, and led the Bulls to the playoffs. And yet after everything he did his rookie year Jordan was still the new kid on the block. Despite Jordan’s best efforts including many great all time playoff performances the 80s were ruled by the Celtics, Lakers, and at the end of the decade, the Pistons. Jordan had been held back from winning a ring. The 90s, on the other hand, would be a completely different story for Jordan and the Bulls.

Jordan won his first ring during the 1990-1991 season, and captured his first finals MVP trophy. Jordan wasn’t done yet. He went on to beat the Blazers in ‘92 and the Suns in ‘93 to complete the first three peat since the Russell Celtics dynasty in the sixties. After the third ring, Jordan retired. There are many different theories about his retirement, many of which have contributed to the mysterious aura around him. Some say it was to honor his father’s wishes after his dad’s death. Others however, say that Jordan was forced out of the league due to his gambling problem. Whatever the cause, Michael Jordan was out of the league playing baseball for 18 months. After his return, Jordan and the Bulls were quickly eliminated from the playoffs by a young Shaq. The next year, the Bulls won 72 games, a record at the time, and won another championship. Over the following two years the Bulls won another two rings securing their second three peat of the 90s.