Los Angeles (AFP)
Superstar Michael Jordan described his final season with Chicago, crowned sixth and final champion title in 1998, as a "testing year" knowing ahead of time that it would be the last with the Bulls in an interview on Thursday at Good Morning America.
"We were all trying to make the most of this year knowing that (the adventure) was going to end," said Jordan, promoting "The Last Dance", a long-awaited ten-episode documentary, the first two of which will air on Sunday on ESPN then Netflix internationally.
"At the start of the season, general manager Jerry Krause told (coach) Phil Jackson that he could finish with 82 wins and 0 losses, he would have no chance of being renewed," he said. added. "Knowing that I was steadfastly linked to him and that he was not going to remain our coach, I was obviously not going to continue (with Chicago). So Phil started the season by saying that it would be + the last dance + and we approached it that way. "
"This context pushed us to accept mentally that all this had to end, but it also pushed us to make sure that we would finish the story well," added Jordan, interviewed by videoconference from his residence in Florida.
If "The Last Dance" has for common thread the last hectic season of the Bulls with Jordan, it is to better tell from the inside their "dynasty" during the 90s, from the first hat-trick (1991-1992-1993) until the second (1996-1997-1998), passing through Jordan's university period when he, at the cost of a decisive shoot for the national title, "went from Mike", the anonymous, "to Michael Jordan ", the future star.
In addition to Jordan, the central hero of the documentary series, more than a hundred protagonists of the time will testify, including Phil Jackson and players Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr.
"The Last Dance" will be broadcast every Sunday until May 17, in two one-hour episodes. Initially it was scheduled for June at the same time as the NBA finals, but the pandemic of new coronavirus having put the sport to a halt for a month, ESPN decided to advance its diffusion.
© 2020 AFP