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The ESPN DIS, -4.09% and Netflix NFLX, +3.43% documentary series “The Last Dance,” built around Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98, premiered Sunday night.
With sports leagues on hiatus, the whole sports world was watching.
NBA players, with their own season on pause, went to Twitter TWTR, +1.16% to offer their thoughts on the Michael Jordan documentary.
ESPN premiered Parts 1 and 2 of the 10-part series last night. Among those featured were fellow NBA legend Magic Johnson, the late NBA commissioner David Stern and President Barack Obama.
Twitter had fun with the filmmakers’ having labeled Obama as “former Chicago resident.”
A decent portion of the first two parts featured Scottie Pippen, Jordan’s longtime teammate. Pippen is frequently thought of as having played “second banana” to Jordan, but Pippen’s unique ability was on full display in the film.
Also singing the praises of Pippen was the “former Arkansas governor” Bill Clinton. The 42nd U.S. president was governor during Arkansas native Pippen’s years at the University of Central Arkansas, later welcoming the Chicago Bulls to the White House on several occasions.
The quote of the night may have belonged to Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird. Bird and the Celtics were playing against a Bulls team with an injured — but not sidelined — Jordan in the 1986 playoffs. Jordan scored 63 points against the team with the NBA’s best record and one of the top defenses in basketball.
“I didn’t think anyone was capable of doing what Michael has done to us,” Bird told the Boston Globe in 1986. “He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
Bird repeated his famous line in Sunday night’s premiere.
The series premiere episodes of The Last Dance averaged 6.1 million viewers, making it ESPN’s most-viewed documentary.
ESPN will release two new episodes of “The Last Dance” every Sunday until May 17.
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