Sheltering in place, which for me means often sitting in front of the TV watching NBA reruns, I was delighted to upgrade to The Last Dance. It is a beautifully produced documentary of Michael Jordan
and his Bulls. His, primarily, but also Scotty Pippen's and Phil Jackson's Bulls. Even the magnificent
Jordan coudn't have won as many championships without those two. One could argue that GM Jerry Krause had something to do with putting together the players, but he also created so many waves
that he on a number of occasion almost sunk the ship. And, granted, we can't dismiss the personal
heroics of the rest of the team making big plays when needed. Still, who can doubt that the Bulls'
long-term success rested squarely on Michael Jordan's shoulders.
I could go on and on about the various episodes and what fascinated me, but the show itself is not the point of this blog. What I believe is The Last Dance puts to rest any doubt about who is/was the greatest basketball player of all time. It is Michael Jordan. I watched the episodes of The Last Dance, marveling at Jordan's precision moves, his physical ballet, air time, improvisation, knowledge of the game, intensity, work ethic, and competitiveness. I can not attribute this entire list of traits to any other player past or present. Only three approach and they are Elgin Baylor, Doctor J, and Kobe Bryant. We will, sadly, never know about Connie Hawkins as so much of his professional basketball career was never given a chance to reach its potential. I know some folks will be upset I do not mention LeBron. And there might be an argument for Allen Iverson, pound for pound. To them, I say, as Shakespeare would have, "Have you no eyes to see. . . ?" Or ears to hear: I said every one of these traits, not some or most of them.
Either in the air or grounded, Michael Jordan played through, around, and over his opponents
with grace and power and with an refined instinct that has not been matched in the history of the game of basketball, at least not so far.
I offer a small quatrain in honor of how difficult it was for Michael Jordan to leave his sport behind written in the voice (sprung rhythm) of the great 19th century English poet, Gerard Manly Hopkins:
Gerard Manly Hopkins by Tom Meschery
Leave basketball behind, can you
As your age tells you, leaving
Without a sigh, no whys, will you?
without looking back, or, to mourn.
