In order to supply hoops heads with a much-needed fix, ESPN has decided to release its long-awaited Michael Jordan documentary series early. Arriving on April 19 and running over five consecutive Sunday nights, The Last Dance will provide a fresh look at Jordan’s last championship season with the Chicago Bulls.
Directed by Jason Hehir, The Last Dance pulls from a season’s worth of never-before-seen footage that was shot by an NBA Entertainment film crew starting in the fall of 1997. Featuring “extensive profiles” of players including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr as well as head coach Phil Jackson, the series showcases “the tension and conflict that defined that final championship run.”
On April 19 … IT BEGINS 🍿#TheLastDance | @StateFarm pic.twitter.com/BTxWjWyqdY
— ESPN (@espn) March 31, 2020
“As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience,” according to an ESPN statement. “We’ve heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve been able to accelerate the production schedule to do just that. This project celebrates one of the greatest players and dynasties ever, and we hope it can serve as a unifying entertainment experience to fill the role that sports often play in our lives, telling a story that will captivate everyone, not just sports fans.”
Last week, LeBron James called for the early release of the documentary while appearing with former teammate and current ESPN employee Richard Jefferson.
Sometimes, all you gotta do is ask 🤝#TheLastDance | April 19 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/E80wa2Eq02
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 31, 2020
Obviously, ‘Bron was hyped to hear the news.
April 19th can’t come fast enough. I CAN NOT WAIT!! 🗣Yessir!🍿 #LastDance
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 31, 2020
In the U.S., the series — which was originally slated to be released in June — will air on ESPN and international subscribers will be able to catch it on Netflix. On the nights it airs on ESPN, there will be two hour-long episodes airing back-to-back starting at 9 p.m. Eastern.
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