Stephanie Sengwe is writer based in New York who covers companies in the streaming industry including AT&T, Amazon, Apple, Hulu, Roku, and Netflix . She also contributes daily news coverage on streaming services and devices for The Streamable.
ESPN’s documentary on Michael Jordan, “The Last Dance,” was originally supposed to air in June in conjunction with the playoffs. However, after the coronavirus pandemic prompted the suspension of the season, the network decided to bump up the premiere date. “The Last Dance,” begins airing this Sunday, April 19 at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
“The Last Dance” follows Michael Jordan and the Bulls as they navigate their way through the tumultuous 1997-98 season and takes viewers back to Jordan’s childhood, chronicling how the decorated basketball player became who he is. Viewers will also get an in-depth look at his journey from the 1984 draft, the Bulls’ standing before Jordan arrived as well as the struggles that led to the team’s first championship.
As the series hones in on the journey to the ‘98 championship, with never-before-seen footage from the NBA Entertainment film crew, we also get extensive profiles of Jordan’s key teammates including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr, as well as head coach Phil Jackson. The series will also feature present-day interviews with rivals and admirers from the basketball world and beyond.
“Michael Jordan and the ‘90s Bulls weren’t just sports superstars, they were a global phenomenon,” director Jason Hehir told ESPN. “Making ‘The Last Dance’ was an incredible opportunity to explore the extraordinary impact of one man and one team. For nearly three years, we searched far and wide to present the definitive story of an era-defining dynasty and to present these sports heroes as humans. I hope viewers enjoy watching our series as much as we enjoyed the opportunity to make it.”
The 10-part series will run for a period of five weeks on ESPN in the U.S. and on Netflix internationally.
Stephanie Sengwe is writer based in New York who covers companies in the streaming industry including AT&T, Amazon, Apple, Hulu, Roku, and Netflix . She also contributes daily news coverage on streaming services and devices for The Streamable.