Finally, the moments we’ve been waiting for.
In Episodes 3 and 4 of ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” which aired on Sunday night, Utah Jazz fans finally get a glimpse of their team — and of downtown Salt Lake City — when the Bulls meet the Jazz for their first regular-season matchup of the ’97-’98 season.
The real star of these episodes, though, is probably Dennis Rodman, whose life story and tumultuous relationship with the Bulls is explored in depth. Rodman discusses a bunch of stuff in Episode 3, including his infamous mid-season bender in Las Vegas, when he didn’t return to the team and Michael Jordan had to retrieve him personally. We also see Rodman’s early years with the Detroit Pistons, how much he aggravated those late-’80s/early-’90s Bulls teams, and how surprising it was that Rodman became a Bull himself.
Other highlights from Episodes 3 and 4 include Jordan’s legendary “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo, Phil Jackson’s ascension within the Bulls organization, and the Detroit Pistons’ famous “Jordan Rules” defensive scheme.
Deseret News reporters Jody Genessy (sports) and Court Mann (entertainment) are recapping all episodes of “The Last Dance,” which explore Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls career, until the series finale on May 17. Here are their thoughts on Episodes 3 and 4.
Favorite Rodman detail
Court Mann: Episode 3 was probably my favorite so far. You really start to feel the unique story structure that director Jason Hehir is using. In each episode he develops three timelines simultaneously: a teammate’s upbringing/backstory (in Episode 3, it’s Rodman’s), the history of the entire Bulls dynasty (in Episodes 3 and 4, it’s the Bulls teams of the late-’80s/early-’90s), and then the history of that ’97-’98 Bulls season. These three timelines weaving so seamlessly together is an impressive feat of documentary filmmaking.
My favorite Rodman detail has to be the footage of his college team and seeing a young, relatively naive and innocent Rodman just dominating at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Jody Genessy: I’m there with you on loving the third episode and the way this documentary is set up. It’s brilliant. Dennis Rodman is so fascinating. I chuckled to myself when they showed reporters interviewing Rodman while he walked down a hall. I was on Dennis Rodman detail in the 1998 Finals and had that exact experience. I remember basically jogging behind a dozen or so reporters with my recorder held up high in the air hoping to get a quote. I laughed seeing the late, great Craig Sager hand Rodman a $20 bill to pay a fine, laughed seeing all of Rodman’s hairdo styles (kudos for the 33s he put in his bleached hair to honor Scottie Pippen’s return) and thought it was sweet to see The Worm spend a few minutes signing autographs and interacting with kids after a game.
From a basketball standpoint, I was very intrigued hearing Rodman speak about how he’d practice guarding his friends to work on rebounding angles and techniques until 3 or 4 in the morning. That devotion is what made him such a special player.
Mann: I’m jealous you got to witness The Worm up close. People have probably made this comparison before, but Rodman joining the Bulls seems like when Joe Walsh joined the Eagles. Throwing such a wildcard like that into the mix is risky, but for the Eagles and the Bulls it really paid off.
The Jazz’s first appearance
Genessy: That was like taking a ride in a time machine. Long live the Delta Center! I loved how loud and proud Jazz fans were back then. I’d forgotten the details of that Jazz-Bulls game right before the 1998 All-Star Break. Not many teams can fall behind an MJ team by 24 points and walk away with a win, but that’s what made the Delta Center, and that Stockton and Malone team, so special. There was an energy in there that was unreal, and you could sense that in the highlights from that game. Once The Mailman started delivering, the Jazz started rolling and the fans started really getting into it, momentum could take a quick 180. And that’s what happened as Utah made a 32-point turnaround to go into the All Star break looking like it really might be en route to its first championship.
It was fun to see Malone doing his thing again. For as massive as he was, he developed such a soft touch on his shots. It was like he became the world’s largest shooting guard. Episode 4 ended the way so many Utahns still wish the NBA Finals had — with an exciting Jazz win.
Mann: I’m so impressed with how these two episodes foreshadowed a few matchups that we’ll see again in later episodes. In Episode 3, for example, they showed the ’97-’98 Bulls’ first regular-season game against the Indiana Pacers. Showing Jordan after the game, telling reporters how the Bulls struggled to rebound against the Pacers’ huge frontcourt, was such a smart teaser to their seven-game Eastern Conference Finals matchup later that season — which was probably the closest the Bulls ever came to losing a series during that final three-peat run. Giving audiences a taste of the Bulls-Jazz matchup was really smart, too. Personally, I loved seeing former Jazz owner Larry Miller hug Malone after the game while confetti was falling from the rafters. Just a regular season game, sure, but you know the Jazz must’ve been itching to get back to the Finals.
Best side character
Mann: The new interviews in these episodes are so captivating — ex-Bulls coach Doug Collins, Rodman’s ex-girlfriend Carmen Electra, Jordan’s personal trainer Tim Grover. But honestly, my favorite has to be John Ligmanowski, the Bulls’ equipment manager during the ’97-’98 season — only because he seems like the ultimate Chicagoan: incredibly stocky, no neck whatsoever, a mustache, and that quintessential Chicago accent. This guy truly belongs in those old “Super Fans” sketches from “Saturday Night Live”! To quote Chris Farley, “Daaaaaaaaa Bulls.”
Genessy: Ligmanowski teasing all of the security guys hanging out with MJ was pretty dang funny. Electra did have one of the best quotes of the night: “It was definitely an occupational hazard to be Dennis’ girlfriend. He was wild.” I appreciated Magic Johnson’s postgame quote after MJ and the Bulls beat the Lakers in 1991 for their first championship. He’d just lost to Jordan, but Johnson was such a good sport that he gave him a hug in the tunnel after the series and called it a “special moment” for both players as one legend passed the torch to another. That’s pure class.
Note: All episodes of “The Last Dance” will be available on the ESPN app with a subscription, or ESPN.com with a cable login, immediately following the broadcast. For viewers outside the U.S., new episodes will show up on Netflix internationally every Monday at 12:01 a.m. PDT.