“The Last Dance” Parts 3 and 4 recap, social reaction: Dennis Rodman steals the show
While Night One of “The Last Dance” highlighted just how much the Chicago Bulls hated Jerry Krause and Scottie Pippen’s frustrations with the team, Night Two was about Dennis Rodman, the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons, and an absolutely immortal quote from Ron Harper about “The Shot.”
Yet Night Two started with two back-to-back bombshell quotes from Rodman, and from that moment, you knew he was going to steal the show.
Rodman was tough ?#TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/ltCuPV1bLk
— ESPN (@espn) April 27, 2020
Of course, the whole documentary is really about Michael Jordan. But as we’ve learned four hours into this outstanding series, both His Airness and his squad were defined by the pieces around Jordan as much as they were by the superstar.
So with that in mind, here’s the best of what social media had to say on Night Two.
On Dennis Rodman
Parts 3 and 4 on Sunday focused largely on the rebounding and defensive maestro, detailing his journey to the NBA, his time as a member of the Detroit Pistons, how he got to the Bulls, and how he had to step up as Jordan’s No. 2 when Pippen took his ball and went home early in the 1997-98 season.
“I love Michael Jordan to death, I love Scottie Pippen, I love all these guys but they really don’t do the the things that I do” -Dennis Rodman. And he was right. They would not have won without him. Don’t forget he’s a 5x NBA Champion #TheLastDance
— Alex English (@AlexEnglish_2) April 27, 2020
Pippen’s return forced Rodman into a bit of a spiral, as he went from being so desperately needed to a nice complementary piece, and the mercurial forward requested some time off to get his head right; after being so buttoned up for two months as Jordan’s second-in-command, he needed to be Dennis Rodman. So he asked if he could go to Las Vegas, and coach Phil Jackson agreed, stipulating that Rodman had 48 hours — after he received MJ’s permission:
“I said Dennis, ‘What are you going to do?’ He said, ‘I gotta go to Vegas.’”
Rodman wanted to take a vacation … mid-season ?
48 hours in Vegas #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/JWGpnEqgJH
— ESPN (@espn) April 27, 2020
Spoiler: He did not return after 48 hours. Instead, Jordan had to go to Vegas to gather Rodman.
Imma tell Vlade I need a vacation ??
— Buddy Love !!!! (@buddyhield) April 27, 2020
Say what you want Dennis Rodman invented load management ?????
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) April 27, 2020
But the lesson still stands: the Zen Master knew how to treat Rodman, and got the best out of him as a result.
This is a lesson for coaches as well. Get to KNOW your players so you can truly understand them. If they know you care, they will do anything for you..#PhilRodman
— ? Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) April 27, 2020
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) April 27, 2020
Every team in every sport got a player with Dennis Rodman mentality. They just don’t have his talent , intangibles and Phil Jackson as the coach ? #TheLastDance
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) April 27, 2020
The Vegas story on Rodman shows how different Phil’s thought process was as a coach. #TheLastDance Phil knew Worm was wired differently!!!
— Garrett Temple (@GTemp17) April 27, 2020
Now, please take a minute of your time to watch this montage of Rodman rebounding — a highlight reel only The Worm could pull off.
“You don’t put a saddle on a mustang.” #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/uvSSz3PO6U
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 27, 2020
On The Bad Boys
One of the amazing parts of “The Last Dance” is the way it unfurls the chapters that led to the Bulls’ final season — and perhaps no chapter in Jordan’s book is as pivotal as Chicago’s battles with the Detroit Pistons.
Isiah Thomas & Co. famously had a set of rules designed specifically for Jordan: “The Jordan Rules”. And for good reason; they worked.
How effective were the “Jordan Rules” in the 1989 ECF?
The “Jordan Rules” certainly worked as the Pistons would win 3 straight games to close out the series (trailed 2-1).
Jordan’s scoring, shooting and rebounding in those last 3 games of the series fell off significantly. pic.twitter.com/BgwFFWbdpM
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 27, 2020
The Jordan Rules had four components:
1. If Jordan is on the wing, force him to the elbow, not baseline.
2. If Jordan is at the top of the key, try to force him to his left.
3. If Jordan gets the ball in the low post, trap him from the top.
4. If Jordan gets to the baseline or in the pain, put him on the ground.
Which Thomas himself recently joined our Chris Broussard to explain:
“What I figured out is Jordan wasn’t as good going left as he was right… their offensive scheme allowed us to force him left and double team him.” @IsiahThomas breaks down the strategy behind the ’Jordan Rules’ to @Chris_Broussard ? pic.twitter.com/N9TOPdMJDQ
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) April 22, 2020
But a funny thing happened as Detroit perfected the rules. Yes, the Pistons won back-to-back titles, stopping Jordan short in the Eastern Conference Finals. But after so much abuse, the Bulls decided they’d had enough. They hit the weight room as a group, put on muscle, and, as Jordan said, looked to deliver the pain instead of be the victims.
Michael Jordan put on 15 pounds of muscle to deal with the Bad Boys Pistons! #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/ejd2WS1dFo
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 27, 2020
Iron sharpens iron, after all, and in trying to hold down the GOAT, the Pistons gave rise to their worst enemy. And in 1991, Chicago swept Detroit right out of the Eastern Conference finals.
Pat Riley called it the Priniciple of Perfect Painful Progression. The Pistons had to take their lumps from the Celtics, then the Bulls had to take their lumps from the Pistons. Today, LeBron or another big free agent leaves and the door’s wide open. #TheLastDance
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) April 27, 2020
MJ was different in the 1991 playoffs
— Tristan Thompson (@RealTristan13) April 27, 2020
Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons created a MONSTER by the name of Michael Jordan!!!
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 27, 2020
But don’t expect Jordan or his former teammates to thank the Pistons for the “help.” In fact, the hatred the Bulls felt for their rivals was still palpable 30 years later, in part because of Detroit’s decision to leave the court after the conference finals without shaking Chicago’s hands:
”[Michael Jordan] hates Isiah 30 years later…that rivalry will endure forever. That is something you can’t fake, that is something you can’t really replicate in today’s game.”@clubtrillion reacts to tonight’s episodes of #TheLastDance ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NgjtNF5rFC
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) April 27, 2020
Then again, maybe the Pistons weren’t alone when it came to playing tough, hard-nosed basketball.
The Jazz were as dirty as the Pistons. But not portrayed as such.
— Rex Chapman?? (@RexChapman) April 27, 2020
When it came to trying to stop Jordan, did you really have a choice?
On Carmen Electra
Let’s circle back to Rodman and Las Vegas for a second, just for fun.
At the time, he was seeing Carmen Electra, who joined Rodman for his Vegas sabbatical. And according to the actress, when Jordan came to gather his teammate, she hid behind a couch, under the covers, because she didn’t want the greatest basketball player of all time to see her in a post-Vegas state. Understandable enough.
“There’s a knock on the door and it’s Michael Jordan, and I hid…” ?? Anyone ever said that?#TheLastDance
— Mo Bamba (@TheRealMoBamba) April 27, 2020
Nothing like a good Mid Season Vegas Bender with Carmen Electra to get the mind right
— Frank Kaminsky III ? (@FSKPart3) April 27, 2020
Michael Jordan barged in to drag Dennis Rodman out of a hotel room with Carmen Electra. We don’t give the 90s for being crazy as hell.#TheLastDance
— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) April 27, 2020
But Andre Iguodala thinks there’s something fishy about the whole story:
She lying… she wasn’t there…hidin… none of that. Lies!
— andre (@andre) April 27, 2020
On Ron Harper
Last but certainly not least, we cannot forget Harper’s legendary comment on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ plan to have Craig Ehlo guard Michael Jordan on a potential game winner in the first round of the 1989 Eastern Conference playoffs, instead of Jordan’s future teammate:
Ron Harper wanted Jordan. #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/N8kMZcIldM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 27, 2020
Tell us how you really felt, Ron.
Ron Harper walking out that huddle like…. pic.twitter.com/PbQCX3xiXk
— Cassidy Hubbarth (@CassidyHubbarth) April 27, 2020
And with that, we bid you adieu until Night Three, when it’s time to talk Dream Team, Kobe Bryant, and much more. We’ll see you then!