I would like to start a discussion thread for NBA fans regarding the ESPN documentary series with the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls. It really opened Pandora’s Box regarding the Bulls organization and how shady it is in the front office.
just downloaded 1st 2 episodes,will give an opinion soon
Pretty good start. Krause comes off bad for sure. Learning a lot about pippen more than Jordan
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I’ve heard these were the worst 2 episodes but obviously was still pretty awesome. Loved this team as a kid so I can’t wait for the rest. Did a great job setting everything up with these 2 episodes
The Pippen contract stuff and the GM breaking up a dynasty before their final season (and the fact they still win in ‘98) ages the worst for me. Imagine either of those happening in 2020.
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Krause is a Vince McMahon level heel
Saw a bunch of stuff leaked online and got a few links. Not sure I want to watch it or not lol
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There’s now a theory circulating that the villain in Space Jam, Mr. Swackhammer, is a depiction of Jerry Krause.
The Le Batard Show interviewed the director Jason Hehir yesterday, who stated MJ had ultimate control of the project but didn’t ask them to omit a single piece of footage. Not a bit, he only advised them to include more footage where he thought it would be useful.
If I wind up calling the Cafe I’ll share the bits I picked up on 2009 when I interned in the NBA Media dept
@Gramercy it was always explained that MJ footage and IP was controlled by him. In fact if you remember the Bird/Magic HBO doc which was excellent, I had to pull photos for them to use and was told explicitly nothing with MJ and if they ask, get permission.
Unprecedented but explains a bit why NBA never seems to use Jordan footage until now
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Wow. That’s a contract that even Brock Lesnar would envy.
I really enjoyed this show and I can’t wait for the next two episodes.
It made me even more of a fan of Michael Jordan’s skill and it’s understandable why he would have such a big ego. Great series!
First 2 episodes done and they were awesome,living in the UK basketball was never mainstream but The Bulls and obviously Jordan transcended the sport.
Krause is the bad guy but is he really? Pippen I thought was magnificent,such a shame about his upbringing with his dad and brother.
Jordan,well Jordan in my mind is the greatest sportsman ever.
He’s clearly going to be positioned as the bad guy. He did a lot of good like putting that team together, getting Tex Winter and the triangle in, drafting Pippen etc. But he ultimately couldn’t work with Phil and Jordan at the end and that will overshadow a lot of what he did (similar in some ways to some famous wrestling stories we know)
You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain,seems apt here for Krause
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Was Krause ever a hero? I remember as a kid people hated him
if you are the general manager of a team that signed Jordan,Pippen and Rodman then i like to think thats pretty good
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Oh yeah for sure. I just always remember him Ben got hated. Granted my memories are like 94-98 so maybe early on. misremembered. Almost traded Scottie for Shawn Kemp once I think He was always fighting Phil. I might misremember as I was a child.
Can’t wait to see more.
Just got episodes 3-8 that’s my day sorted.
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I thought the first two episodes were fantastic and incredibly well produced. The 90’s Bull’s team is full of fascinating stories and characters so they are the perfect focus for this kind of 10 part series. There have been documentaries and long-form interviews about parts of the Bulls dynasty before but never a complete series like this that I know of.
I loved the format of switching back and forth from what was happening in the 97-98 season to the player biographies and discussing their early career milestones. You can see how those early moments in life and the NBA helped shape them to be the players they were and the resentments that had built up by that last season.
So far Jerry Krause has come across as the “villain” of the series with all the talk of his vanity. It’s a shame he passed away before the documentary had a chance to interview him. He certainly does have some share of the “blame” for the team breaking up.
But I think by the time the series ends we will see that there were too many combustible elements for this team to stay together.
- Pippen’s resentment at ownership.
- The fallout from Jordan’s retirement which hasn’t been mentioned yet.
- A looming lockout.
- Money Money Money
Episode 3 focusing on Rodman is fantastic,the respect both Jordan and Pippen have for Dennis is wonderful but not as wonderful as the stiff brothers.
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What episode talks about the gambling suspension? 
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