7 Jun 1996: Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bull, left, discusses strategy with teammates Ron Harper, center, and Scottie Pippen during a time-out on the court during the fourth quarter of game two in the NBA Finals at the United Center in Chicago, IllinoESPN’s The Last Dance documentary was a massive hit in terms of ratings, but the way certain events and players were portrayed during the series ruffled some feathers. In fact, Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen have already expressed their displeasure with the documentary.
Pippen is reportedly “livid” with the documentary, meanwhile Grant called Jordan a “snitch.” The latest person to speak out is former Chicago Tribune writer and author of “The Jordan Rules,” Sam Smith.
Smith appeared on 95.7 FM The Game radio to talk about The Last Dance. He said that Jordan lied about being forced to retire after the team won its sixth championship.
The former Bulls reporter went even further by saying Jordan lied about multiple stories in the documentary. So, it appears there is more to the story than what was being reported in The Last Dance.
Here’s what Smith had to say on 95.7 FM The Game, via CBS:
“That was a complete and blatant lie by Michael,” Smith said of Jordan wanting to return for the 1998-99 season. “There were several things in the documentary that I saw, I would know, that he made up or he lied about. They weren’t major things, but it was like when a TV movie comes on and they say, ‘this is based on a true story.’ That’s what that was. It was based on a true story.”
During the final episode of The Last Dance, Jordan made it seem as if the entire Bulls team was forced out by Jerry Krause. Perhaps that’s the truth, but there’s always more than one side to a story with multiple parties.
Chicago had a dominant run that lasted a decade, so it’s only normal for players to want to see how far they can stretch their championship window. On the other hand, general managers have to be one step ahead of the curve.
Whether or not the entire documentary told the truth, the reality is most basketball fans and players enjoyed the series from ESPN. Nonetheless, it’s always interesting to hear from people who were plugged in with that Chicago Bulls team during the Jordan era.
