Episodes 3 and 4 of “The Last Dance” focus Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ heated rivalry with the infamous “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
From the implementation of the “Jordan Rules,” right up to the Bulls’ eventual conquest of Detroit in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals — followed by the dubious walk out from the Pistons — these next pair of episodes tell the tale of one of the most intense moments in NBA history.
Sportsnet had the pleasure of previewing “The Last Dance” and throughout its rollout we’ll be breaking down the notable takeaways of each episode via the quotes that stood out and signified that chapter in the Bulls’ story.
Availability in Canada on Netflix
Episodes 3 and 4 – Monday, 27 April – 12:01 a.m. PT
Episodes 5 and 6- Monday, 4 May – 12:01 a.m. PT
Episodes 7 and 8 – Monday, 11 May – 12:01 a.m. PT
Episodes 9 and 10 – Monday, 18 May – 12:01 a.m. PT
Episode 3
Notable interview subjects: Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, David Aldridge, Phil Jackson, Isiah Thomas, John Salley, Gary Payton, Doug Collins, Michael Wilbon, John Paxson, Ron Harper, James Worthy, Andrea Kremer, Brendan Malone, Bill Cartwright, Steve Kerr, Jud Buechler.
Quote of the episode: “Oh, I hated them. And it carries even to this day. They made it personal. They physically beat the [expletive] out of us.” – Michael Jordan
Episode 3 explores two things: Dennis Rodman and the Pistons’ rivalry with the Bulls and their physical treatment of Jordan.
We can’t give you any of the best Rodman related quotes without ruining the shock value of what you’re going to see, so let’s examine the secondary angle that was fascinating.
The Pistons explain in great detail about the mythical “Jordan Rules.” A philosophy that, essentially, were to make him pay when he drove the ball into the lane.
John Salley explained the urgency of the concept of hard fouls on Jordan by saying, “You have to stop him before he takes flight. Because you know he’s not human.”
This was well before reviews for flagrant fouls, and was a much tougher, unforgiving league. The Bad Boy Pistons earned their name as a team full of enforcers, but Jordan’s beef with them was also how they conducted themselves when they were dethroned, and that narrative is unpacked in the episode with members of both teams telling their sides of the story.
Bonus quote: “Dennis goes to San Antonio and then ‘Demolition Man’ comes out and he changes his hair colour, then Madonna says, I guess, he’s cute and they start seeing each other.
“Madonna explained to him you have to establish who you want to be in this life, don’t let them tell you who you should be.” – Salley on the transformation of Dennis Rodman from shy player to eccentric celebrity with a rebellious disposition.
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Episode 4
Notable interview subjects: Carmen Electra, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, B.J. Armstrong, Will Perdue, John Salley, Horace Grant, Tim Grover (Jordan’s personal trainer), David Aldridge, Bill Cartwright, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Hannah Storm.
Quote of the episode: “I didn’t want Bill Cartwright to have the ball with five seconds left. That’s not an equal opportunity offence. That’s [expletive].” – Michael Jordan
It’s hilarious and it’s true.
Episode 4 is about Phil Jackson becoming head coach of the Bulls. The change from Doug Collins to Jackson was the elimination of iso ball and Jackson empowering Tex Winters to institute the triangle offence.
The scheme is synonymous with Jordan’s trademark efficiency from the high- and mid-post but Jordan wasn’t a fan of it at first.
“There were so many times Tex used to yell at me saying, ‘Move the ball, move the ball!’ There is no ‘I’ in team.”
When recalling this story in the episode, Jordan then paused for dramatic effect and punctuated this thought with, “But there is an ‘I’ in win.”
Win they did, and it was largely because of the triangle offence that was implemented, as the documentary shows how it helped Scottie Pippen flourish offensively as a point forward beside Jordan.The strategy gave the offence a level of fluidity and unpredictability as there were 33 options after the first entry pass was thrown.
Despite its success, Jordan was candid about his initial disdain for it.
Bonus quote: “Straight up [expletive]. That’s what they walked off like. We just kicked your [expletive]. Go ahead and go.” – Horace Grant on the Pistons leaving the court before shaking hands with the Bulls when they lost to them in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.
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