"The Last Dance," a docuseries examining Michael Jordan’s final championship season with the Chicago Bulls, is an unapologetically raw glimpse into the mind of basketball’s most storied icon. However, it is hardly the first of its kind.
I am of course referring to the 1996 cult classic, "Space Jam," which remains the definitive portrayal of Jordan’s complicated legacy. Allow me to explain.
"Space Jam" tells the story of Warner Bros.' beloved "Looney Tunes" characters teaming up with a recently retired Jordan to defeat a gang of alien ruffians dubbed the Monstars in, what else, a game of basketball.
I would provide more context, but plot clearly wasn’t the focus of this film’s creators, nor is it mine. Instead, I wish to suggest that many of the movie’s elements are subtle metaphors for Jordan’s numerous personal struggles.
Such is evident when our protagonist, out for a leisurely round of golf, is literally lassoed and pulled into the Looney Tunes’ nonsensical wonderland through one of the course’s holes.
For several years, Jordan’s affection for this gentlemanly sport was rivaled only by his eagerness to bet money on it. Businessman Richard Esquinas, a frequent opponent of Jordan’s, claimed the NBA star once drove and putted his way to $1.25 million in debt.
What better method to pay homage to Jordan’s vices than to depict him essentially being swallowed by a golf course?
Once in this strange, whimsical world, Jordan becomes acquainted with the Looney Tunes and subsequently the Monstars. Though they are presented as little other than one-dimensional — well, technically two-dimensional — villains, the Monstars are actually a brilliant manifestation of Jordan’s dark side.
When the newly formed Tune Squad takes on the Monstars, they are brutalized by their much larger, meaner adversaries.
Daffy Duck suffers an NFL career’s worth of concussions in the span of a minute, and Foghorn Leghorn is incinerated alive, 11 herbs and spices short of an eight-piece bucket.
But it was not the first time Jordan’s allies were subjected to a beatdown. Look no further than the time Jordan punched Will Perdue in the face during a scrimmage in 1990, not to be confused with the time Jordan punched Steve Kerr in the face during a scrimmage in 1995.
Then there was Bill Cartwright, who was so upset by Jordan’s constant attempts to publicly humiliate him that he threatened to break both of Jordan’s legs. Fortunately, the 7-foot-1-inch, 245-pound Cartwright never carried out his warning, and Nike didn’t have to modify the Jumpman logo to include a tiny wheelchair.
Despite often fostering a locker room environment with a toxicity level akin to arsenic, Jordan could still spur his comrades to triumph, even those with curly tails and debilitating speech impediments.
In "Space Jam," this manifests in the contest’s fourth quarter. Jordan goes so far as to wager his own freedom on the outcome, something he may have attempted in real life if not for restrictions imposed by sportsbooks and basic human rights laws.
Down one point with mere seconds left, his liberty at stake, Jordan leaps for a dunk from half-court but is smothered by a pile of Monstars. Then, in a true display of grit, determination and the extremely limited animation technology available in 1996, Jordan grotesquely stretches his arm and throws down the game-winning slam.
That concluding jam is no mere buzzer-beater. Jordan, dragged down by the very manifestation of his inner demons, manages to rise above and seize victory.
Each viewing of this poignant climax evokes images of Andy Dufresne falling to his knees, arms raised in the pouring rain after escaping Shawshank. It is complete and utter catharsis on the silver screen.
Jordan undoubtedly leaves behind a confounding reputation. It is difficult to reconcile his countless charitable acts, from donating to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to generously doling out verbal abuse and black eyes to his teammates.
Who am I to say whether Jordan’s occasional bullying of colleagues or borderline gambling addiction detract from his status as the best to ever play the game?
"Space Jam" shows us that Jordan nearly always found a way to win despite his uglier habits, truly cementing him as the G.O.A.T. — Greatest of All Tunes, undisputed.
