Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance" took the internet by storm during the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassing 5.6 million views across ten episodes in 2020. While many enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look into one of the greatest athletes of all and one of the most impressive dynasties ever, some took exception to how things were portrayed. Several teammates, headed by seven-time All-NBA forward Scottie Pippen, have decided to do their rendition of the truth, a tour called "No Bull." The ongoing feud between Jordan and Pippen has been common knowledge for the better part of the decade and kept either one from attending the Bulls' inaugural Ring of Honor ceremony in January of this year, where both were inducted.
"No Bull" Tour Details
The first of three dates for this unfiltered press conference aired Friday night in Tasmania, with two more stops in Melbourne and Syndey. Three members of Chicago's illustrious title teams, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Luc Longley, will answer questions and share insights into the dynasty portrayed in the Netflix series "The Last Dance." Last night was the first event, and despite the commonly assumed opinion that this would be a chance for the disgruntled trio to throw dirt on Jordan or the documentary's name, it was quite the opposite.
Working alongside Australia's National Basketball League, the NBL, the trio answered the grey area questions following the ten-part docuseries alongside memorabilia from their tenures in Chicago. The following two dates may contain more contradictory topics, but the kick-off seems like it was nothing but a harmless sharing of events from the rest of the cast behind Michael Jordan. The documentary was primarily edited and directed by Jordan, so despite several episodes narrated by other franchise members, he had the final say on what went live.
Instant Backlash Gone Wrong
Immediately following the announcement of this tour, several sports writers and news channels in the sports world had a knee-jerk reaction to what this might contain. Stephen A. Smith went as far as to say Pippen was "embarrassing himself" with this decision. Given the nature of his and Jordan's relationship, the odd choice of airing it in Australia, and two similarly displeased teammates alongside him, this was a common belief.
On the contrary, after one night of this three-part tour, it seems like a trio of Championship teammates sharing experiences throughout their professional careers and experiences of the most elite basketball league in the world. With 13 rings and eight All-Star appearances between them, plenty of high-level insight can be shared. Longley was born in Australia, appeared on two Olympic teams for them, and won two Championships in the NBL, hence the hosting in his home country. Whether it was for the views or an authentic belief that this would become a "trash Michael Jordan and The Last Dance" tour, the mainstream media misled the public once again.
