The Last Dance: Worth a watch for non-NBA fans?

Even if you only have the most minimal and passing interest in sports, you’ll likely know what the NBA is. And if you know what the NBA is, you’ll know who Michael Jordan is. Jordan is without doubt one of the most elite athletes of all-time; a persona and a technical player that was above almost anyone else to grace a basketball court. But for fans of the NBA, The Last Dance has proven to be an addictive yet controversial talking point. But what if you don’t like basketball? Is it worth it?

As someone who does not watch much basketball at all, I would say yes. I have watched most of the series so far and have been pretty taken in by it. So taken in, in fact, that I’ve just purchased a basketball video game! I can’t get much playing time on an actual court here, so I’ll have to enjoy a virtual edition instead. For many NBA fans, though, the show was the perfect explanation for why Jordan is the legend that he is.

He was an enigma; the kind of player that simply left you with no doubt that when they wanted to win, they did. He was a special talent, and The Last Dance shows us far more to Jordan than just the athlete. It talks about his lifestyle, his personality, his dressing room command, and even his love/hate relationship with gambling. It’s a tremendous experience, and one that I would happily recommend to anyone who is even a vague lover of basketball.

The sport itself can be quite confusing at times, but The Last Dance does a good job of making you really feel involved. Even as someone not totally fluent on basketball terminology, I felt connected.

Should I watch The Last Dance?

Absolutely! Even if you have no interest in NBA/sports, I would recommend watching it. When I was younger, I had no interest in sports at all; in fact, I hated them. However, I sat down with my father one night and watched a documentary about a soccer team from Scotland, called Celtic. It was a showcase of their finest ever team, the 1966-67 Lisbon Lions. As someone with Scottish heritage, I felt annoyed I’d never heard of these amazing people before!

And so came my own love of sport. Who knows? The Last Dance could be your version of my Lisbon Lions documentary. Sport can come to us in many ways, and we don’t always need to be fans from a childhood age to love a sport. I think I was 12 the first time I witnessed that documentary and thus opened my eyes to what sport can really be like.

I had my perceptions entirely changed about sport as a whole with one documentary. I think The Last Dance could really produce the same kind of impact for a lot of non-sports fans. Who knows? You might even end up supporting the Chicago Bulls – though I’m told that might not be the best idea in 2020…