The Jason Hehir-directed series narrates the story of one of the greatest basketball icons and most successful teams in sports history, Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls, and features never-before-seen footage from the 1997-1998 season as the team pursued its sixth NBA championship in eight years.
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The original ESPN airings of the series averaged 5.6 million same-day viewers, according to ESPN, making the series the network's most-watched documentary content ever.
To commemorate the conclusion of the series' initial broadcast on ESPN, ESPN host and NBA commentator Stephen A. Smith will host the prime-time special "After the Dance with Stephen A. Smith: A SportsCenter Special," on Tuesday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET/PT | 7 p.m. CT on ABC.
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The encore presentation of "The Last Dance" kicks off at 8 p.m. ET/PT | 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 23 on ABC. Here's the full schedule for the ABC encore presentation:
- Saturday, May 23 - Episodes 1 and 2
- Saturday, May 30 - Episodes 3 and 4
- Saturday, June 6 - Episodes 5 and 6
- Saturday, June 13 - Episodes 7 and 8
- Saturday, June 20 - Episodes 9 and 10
Full series description:
In fall 1997, Michael Jordan, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and head coach Phil Jackson agreed to let an NBA Entertainment film crew follow the team all season long. The result would be a remarkable portrait of an iconic player and a celebrated team - a portrait only now being revealed more than two decades later in "The Last Dance."
As the series weaves its way through the tumultuous 1997-1998 season, viewers will be transported back to how it all began - from Jordan's childhood roots, the Bulls' dire circumstances before his arrival and how the team was built after drafting him in 1984, to the struggles that eventually led to the team's first NBA championship. As the series takes the audience through the Bulls' first five championships, viewers will experience the off-court challenges, struggles and triumphs that were a part of the culture-shifting phenomenon created by Jordan and the Bulls.
It's an unlikely scenario that serves as a fascinating backdrop for the inside tale of the 1998 championship run, with extensive profiles of Jordan's key teammates including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr, head coach Phil Jackson, and featuring dozens of current-day interviews with rivals and luminaries from basketball and beyond. All throughout, the tension and conflict that defined that final championship run are very much on display.
The 10-part documentary series on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' quest for a sixth NBA Championship in 1998 is produced by Mandalay Sports Media, in association with NBA Entertainment and Jump 23.