ESPN’s Chicago Bulls docuseries, The Last Dance, wrapped up its 10-part series on Sunday. It was an exciting retelling of one of the most iconic teams in sports.
The documentary made me realize how lucky I was to witness part of their dynasty.
I’m talking about the 1996-98 run.
I was born in ‘96, and as soon as I could watch basketball, I was immediately hooked by the Bulls. I was always badgering my parents to buy us plane tickets to go to Chicago and see them, but they never barged.
Since I was forced to stay at home, I would watch as many Bulls games on TV as I could. This proved to be difficult, though, as my tiny body would not let me stay up past seven on most nights—forcing me to have to read the boxscore the next day in the newspaper.
At the time, I had no idea they had already won three championships. I only became aware of this information after my parents read me the bedtime stories Michael Jordan wrote about the ‘91-93 Bulls.
The book was titled, “Hey kids, let me tell you how good I am. Also, please never stop buying my shoes.”
Much has been written about Jordan’s competitiveness, and the grudges he would hold against his opponents. But I actually have first-hand experience with this.
Even though I was only two during the ‘98 season, Michael Jordan also held a grudge against me. He somehow found out that I had watched cartoons instead of watching one of his games.
He was not happy.
The next night, he dropped 50. He told a reporter after the game, “I just wanted to go out tonight, and make sure a certain kid knew what I’m capable of. A lot of the kids under the age of five haven’t shown me the respect I deserve. I hope they never forget what they saw tonight.”
I never did.
But neither did he. To this day, I am not allowed to buy his shoes. It’s not an ideal situation, but I have to respect him for his commitment.
And who could forget Jordan’s iconic shot in game six of the ‘98 NBA Finals? I remember exactly where I was at that moment.
In my high chair, finishing up my plate of Spaghetti Os.
In honor of Mike, I cooked up a plate of Spaghetti Os last night, and watched him hit that shot again in the final episode.
Nostalgia is a beautiful thing.
I will always remember the ‘90s Bulls.
P.S. I was in Vegas with Rodman, why was I not interviewed about it?
