Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 9 and 10

"The Last Dance" ended last night, and it may be the single greatest documentary series that has ever existed. I don't feel like I am being a prisoner of the moment. I don't think it has anything to do with the lack of sports, although that definitely helps. I think this is the greatest documentary series ever because it is about the greatest basketball player ever, and it is directed by one the best sports story tellers of all time. "The Last Dance" has every single ingredient to make it as perfect as it was.

Now, spoiler alert out there for listeners to out podcast, but I will give my feelings on the documentary as a whole on the next pod. Today, I want to continue with my review of the most recent episodes. Last night finished it off with 9 and 10, and they were magnificent. The series continued to get better, and last night was no exception. Episode 9 went straight away into the 98 East Finals against the Pacers. This was one of two series that went to 7 games during the Bulls double three peat. This was also, probably, the toughest series for any Jordan led team, prior to the Pistons. The Pacers had the style of team that could compete with this Bulls squad. They had big, nasty guys. They had a veteran point guard. They had quickness and electricity off the bench. They had an old sharp shooter. They had size. And they had Reggie Miller. They could have won this series. They could've ended the dynasty one series early. But they didn't. Too may mistakes, miscues and poor rebounding and free throw shooting doomed them. Also, the jump ball between Rik Smits and Jordan was a play I never, ever thought about, but was played out to show how important that one moment was in this series, and I will never look at it the same ever again.

They shifted from that series to the 97 Finals against the Jazz. They showed a lot of stuff from there. We got some great back story on Steve Kerr. His story was very, very in depth, heartbreaking and showed his character. It made me like him even more. We also got the real truth behind the infamous "flu game". As I suspected, and a ton of others did, it wasn't a stomach flu, it was food poisoning. To hear Jordan confirm so quickly and assuredly made it hit home even more. And to see the way he came out and played, after going through something as awful as food poisoning, the guy is not human. That was cool. I also liked getting to see Jordan's kids and hearing them talk about their dislike for Utah and why their mom wouldn't let them go to games there. It was nice to finally hear from someone in his family.

They shifted back to the Pacers series and we got all the intel that I mentioned, and so, so much more. Reggie Miller is underrated, Scottie Pippen is one of the best defenders ever, Larry Bird could coach, Steve Kerr was a sharp shooter and Jordan was an absolute killer. It was awesome to see them break down the series the way they did. We also got to hear about his close relationship with one member of his security detail, and that was a nice story to see how that gentleman took on the fatherly role for Jordan after his dad was killed. It was all great.

Episode 10 was all about the 98 Finals and the aftermath. This was a tremendous episode. To see them talk about how they went about winning, how tired mentally and physically they were, how they laid it all out, it was amazing. Also, big props to Scottie Pippen for playing through that horrible back injury. He really showed his mental toughness, and to do what he did with that injury is astounding. Also, props to Dennis Rodman. Sure, he is an asshole, he skipped out on practice to go wrestle, he wouldn't talk to anyone, but the dude laid it out on the court every game night, and he was the best pest and rebounder that the Bulls have ever had. He also hit four straight free throws in a critical moment for the Bulls, and that is just amazing.

But this was all about MJ and his willingness to put this team on his back and carry them to their 6th title. The things he did in game 6 of the 98 Finals was spectacular, especially the last minute of that game. The Bulls were down 3, and he goes and gets a quick layup. I mean, guys tried to stop him, but he is Michael god damn Jordan. If he wanted to get to the basket he got there. Then, to get the strip on Karl Malone, and bring the ball up and hit that jumper, I mean, there is no better way to go out than that. I know he came back to play for Washington, and some may say he pushed off Byron Russell, but I will always look at that jumper as his last moment. That personified his greatness. That sequence proves for the billionth time that he is the greatest to ever play basketball. I have a piece tomorrow about current players calling him out, Channing Frye I'm talking particularly to you, and they are all full of nonsense. But I will save all that for tomorrow. Jordan proved time and again, when he wanted to win, he was going to find a way to win.

Then the aftermath of that, what followed after the 98 title was wild. Everyone wanted this team back, they wanted to see if they could go for four straight, to win seven in nine years. And I think they would have. If they were able to pull it off, they could have done it. And to see Jordan's reaction to Jerry Reinsdorf's explanation as to why they had to split this team up was something else. Jordan said he didn't agree, and laid out a scenario where they could have done it all again. We were left thinking, what if, but what we got from the 90's Bulls, and Jordan himself was witnessing greatness that we may never see again.

This, and I will keep saying this, is the great documentary series that has ever existed. It is, by far the best sports doc ever, and dare I say, the best documentary ever made. "The Last Dance" is a rare achievement we don't see that much today, and that is being a perfect movie being perfectly told. I love this and I cannot recommend it enough. I will rewatch this maybe a billion times. It's the best. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 6 and 7

I just finished up the most recent episodes of "The Last Dance", and this is why I was so interested in this doc. This is the stuff I was here for. These are the episodes I have been waiting for. This is the kind of new information I wanted to see, and hear from the man himself, in Michael Jordan. I was so enthralled by everything I watched.

The first episode talked about the first three peat. The team, and Jordan getting to that level, and all the stuff they went through after the third tit;e. This was when Jordan retired the first time. This was when his father was tragically killed. This was when all the theories came out that he was "forced" to retire by David Stern due to his gambling. All the people refuted everything, but still, seeing them questioned, and seeing them kind of shift and look around when they answered, it was glorious. I don't believe that Jordan was forced into retirement, but I also don't think he left to simply play baseball. He was at the top of his game, he was winning every year, he was making a ton of money and he was the biggest star in the world. I think he wanted a new challenge. He mastered the game of basketball, so I think he wanted to try to conquer a different sport, a sport he grew up playing, and falling in love with due to his dad. I think the passing of his dad was the main reason why he walked away. That, and that he was so tired from carrying the Bulls to three straight titles. The stuff with his dad was so upsetting and sad and just miserable too. To see the media drag him the way they did back then, that was disgusting. I cannot fathom what the media would do today. It would have been ten times worse. I will say, to see Jordan, his mom and brother talk about this was pretty upsetting, but I respect that they did it. It had to be really tough for them, but they still did it.

Then they shifted to his demeanor with his teammates. This was the stuff I have been waiting for. They touched on it a little in episode 7, but they really went into it in episode 8. In 7 we got to see Jordan going after a young rookie, Scott Burrell. The stuff he stood up to, the stuff he dealt with, the way he handled it, he is a much better dude than I am. He was a pro, and he knew why Jordan was doing what he did. We also got stories of him and Steve Kerr getting into it. He used to shit talk guys like Jud Buechler and Luc Longley. He went in on anyone that he felt didn't meet his standards. Jordan is the GOAT, and I would have hated playing on his team. But, he did win, and he helped to squeeze out every ounce of talent his teammates had.

They also talked about him coming out of retirement the first time, and how he had to reshape his body multiple times because of switching sports. Jordan was nothing if not maniacal when it came to getting the best out of himself. We also got to hear about the incredible pick up games that would go on while Jordan was filming "Space Jam". The people who made that movie built him a gym, and he had players fly in from everywhere to compete with him so he could get back into basketball shape. This was the season after the Magic ousted the Bulls in the playoffs. The only time I believe a Bulls team MJ was on, after getting past the Pistons, that didn't win a title. Reggie Miller, during a talking head interview talked about how MJ must have been a "vampire" because he filmed the movie all day, played games at night, lifted and did this everyday during the course of making "Space Jam". That was a special moment from this doc.

We also got a look into the 72 win Bulls team. This was the year after Jordan came back, the fight with Kerr during practice, and the way that Bulls team ran roughshod over the rest of the NBA. That team still irks me because they beat my team, the Supersonics, but damn it were they impressive. We also got more of the asshole Jordan during this season, and this part of the doc. I mentioned Burrell and Kerr, but he did this to everyone on the team. They asked him if he ever regrets being so mean, being described as a "mean person", and he said no, very bluntly I might add. He didn't care if he hurt your feelings, as long as you helped him win. I also liked that we got to see Gary Payton heavily interviewed during this episode, he is my second favorite Sonic ever behind Shawn Kemp. He was a great defender, and an even better shit talker. He talked about how he locked Jordan up to help the Sonics win two games in the Finals, and they showed the film to Jordan, and he kept laughing, and simply stated, "Payton didn't stop me, I had other things on my mind for those two games". We come to realize that Father's Day was the day of game six, and this was the first season, and Finals his dad wasn't at. The Bulls proceeded to dominate the Sonics to win the title, and they show Jordan just collapse in the locker room. I would be lying if I didn't say I teared up at this moment. It was a gut punch indeed. They finished the episode off with the East Finals in 1998 against the Pacers, and Reggie Miller saying that he was going to be the guy to retire MJ. Another great line from Reggie Miller.

These were the two best episodes to this point, and it has me so excited for the last two. It's bittersweet though because I don't want this doc to end, but I am so excited to see how they finish it. I imagine it is going to go out with a bang because, with every episode to this point, it has just gotten better and better and better.

This is an amazing docu series.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches, and Loves, "Uncle Drew"

I finally saw the movie "Uncle Drew", and I absolutely loved it.

Now, before I get blasted for liking this movie so much I want to say that, I know it was not your traditional good movie. It was cheesy and hokey and crony and silly and a whole lot of fun. I read some reviews after I watched it, and for the writers saying it "lacked realism", or "was filled with non actors" or "clearly a kids movie", I have to say, shut the hell up. We all know that it wasn't real. I mean, the movie was based off a Pepsi commercial that first appeared like 5 years ago. It was all made as a joke. This was a vehicle for Kyrie Irving to dress up in old man makeup and school young basketball players on famous street ball courts.

As far as the kids movie thing, so what. A lot of great movies are "kid" movies. I had "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies" as one of my top movies of 2018. That is a kids movie. So are some classics like "Toys", "Wall-E", "The Mighty Ducks", "The Lion King", "Bambi", I could go on and on and on. But the difference, the critics all loved the childish nature of the other movies I just mentioned, yet they trash "Uncle Drew". It makes me so upset that this new age of movie critics, most of them are younger than me, have no imagination. Now I know that I have been called out for a lack of imagination because I don't like the TV show "PJ Masks", but that critique I wrote was in jest. I was just tired of watching that god damn show. I know my kids love it, and I know it is goofy, but it is also a cartoon. "Uncle Drew" is not a cartoon, so the younger critics feel like they need to knock it down a few pegs. What they really need to do is chill the hell out.

The thing that irked me the most was the whole, "there's no real actors in the movie". First off, Lil Rel Howery is a great comedic actor. I enjoyed every second of him in this movie. Tiffany Haddsih is also great, and she has become somewhat of a critical darling. Nick Kroll is funny as hell. But I think what the major critics were trying to do was call out Kyrie Irving, Chris Webber, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie, Reggie Miller, and to a lesser extent, Shaquille O'Neal. But my major blowback to the people that said "no real actors", no shit. These guys are former pros, or current pro basketball players, and now some of them do commentary. Like I said at the top, this whole movie was based around a commercial where Irving clowns other basketball players while dressed as an old man. "Uncle Drew" wasn't going to be awards bait. It wasn't made to teach a real lesson. It wasn't going to be a coming out party for anyone in it. It was made because it was fun. It was also made for people who truly love the game of basketball.

Take away the smaller stuff I really enjoyed about the movie, the preacher and church scene with Webber and Leslie is great, the stuff with Shaq was hilarious, as I said before, Lil Rel was excellent. But, the pure basketball, and the love for the game of basketball was front and center. I think that is why I love this movie so much. I feel like it was made specifically for someone like me. Someone that likes old school basketball mixed with new school. Someone that likes to hear actors say lines like, "that is why I still play, because I love the game", or, "you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take", or when Shaq calls Irving "KOBE" at one point because he won't pass the ball, or when Lisa Leslie destroys people with her inside game. It was so much fun to see the best of the best show their stuff. The basketball in this movie was pure. It was akin to the football in a movie like "Friday Night Lights", or the baseball in "Major League". It looked and felt real. I assume they really were playing, and I love that.

"Uncle Drew" is a fun movie that is pure joy for big time basketball fans. I applaud Irving and Webber and Reggie Miller and Nate Robinson and Shaq and Lisa Leslie for going 110 percent and totally buying into their roles. I love this movie so much. My hat is off to "Uncle Drew".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When it comes to movies about basketball, Ty will also defend “Eddie”, and “Like Mike”. He will not defend “Juwanna Man”. Ty does have some limits to the basketball movies he likes.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.