“Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations began for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year.”

As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with JT and DC to present Jordan Ain’t No Joke.

Jordan Ain’t No Joke Ep 6 covers Episodes I through X of The Last Dance.

Notable Quotable:
“Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria.” — Dr. Peter Venkman

A Deep Three:
The Miami Heat retired Michael Jordan’s number 23 in April 2003 to honor Jordan’s achievements and contributions in basketball. The Heat are the only NBA team other than the Chicago Bulls to have retired the number 23 jersey.

1:00:
Introductions: The Ice Breaker
Q: We survived the end of the Bulls dynasty only to face the end of the world with Y2K. Do you have any Y2K memories…were you fearful? Was it media hype?

4:46:
Since we’re talking about the The Last Dance as a whole: where would you like to start:
Q: Was Jordan a bully or did we all just soft?

8:02:
Q: Would you say Jordan was a bully with Isiah Thomas and the Olympics?
Isiah Thomas scores a gold medal for being a jerk.

15:45:
Q: Does Horace Grant have the truth or does he just have tears?
The Last Dance soundtrack includes so much crying.

18:42:
Q: Was the Bulls Horace Grant team better or was the Bulls Rodman team better?
The Bulls are like The Beatles…

39:35:
Q: Can you explain what Jordan’s Love of the Game clause in his contact was?
Jordan wanted to crush fools at the Y.

49:50:
Q: The portrayal or the betrayal of Pippen: was Pippen fairly treated by this doc?
People get so furious so fast with Tyrese.

56:20:
Q: Who gets screwed over by The Last Dance more than anybody else?
Every detective story is focused on: “Who Benefits.”

59:00:
Q: What if Jerry Krause wasn’t as bad as we thought. What are your Jerry Krause emotions?
“Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying.”

1:04:17:
Q: Did Jerry Reinsdorf get off too easy in The Last Dance?
Did he take “ownership” for his decisions?

1:19:32:
Q: Do you think that Jordan’s relationships should have been part of The Last Dance or do you think that was all appropriately off limits?
The Kids!

1:24:00:
Q: The ultimate question really is: what you think of the docuseries as a whole?
Storytelling vs the stories we tell.

1:43:49:
Q: Would it have helped to have some sort of a narrative or narrator?
The Last Dance needed The Wonder Years Narrator especially over the game footage.

1:56:30:
Q: Where do we go from here: can we expect more 90s NBA stories or has Jordan said all he’s going to say?
The Last Dance is The Last Word.

JT’s Recommendations
O.J.: Made In America
Stop At Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story

DC’s Recommendations
30 for 30: Lance

Sammy’s Recommendations
Jason Hehir’s Next Project (which is?!)

Closing Jordan Rap Reference
“Hoop dreamin’, hangin up pictures of my idols/Jordan was like Jesus, SLAM was like the Bible/I used to read it twice and cut the pictures out/Had the Jordan free throw dunk tongue stickin’ out…” J Cole: I Got It

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“Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations began for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year.”

As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with JT and DC to present Jordan Ain’t No Joke.

Jordan Ain’t No Joke Ep 5 covers Episodes IX and X of The Last Dance.

Notable Quotable:
“Russell was already stumbling away. That hand on his backside was the equivalent of a maître d’ showing someone to their table.” — Bob Costas

A Deep Three:
According to Jim O’Brien: Chris Mullin was similar to NBA legend Larry Bird because both players lacked speed, had a great outside shot and had the innate ability to put their defender off guard. And ah…both are white players.

1:00:
Introductions: The Ice Breaker
Since this episode covers the final episodes of The Last Dance we’ll focus on endings: Team Tupac or Team Biggie: which of those tragic endings hit you the hardest?

4:45:
Our Suggested Titles for Episode IX
Don’t Mess With Black Jesus!

7:00:
Q: Do you miss those Pacer teams the way you do the Knicks or any other 90s NBA teams?
We never really talk about the Pacers.

13:13:
Q: Unbalanced: way too much in-game play vs modern talking heads?
Unmoored like a lost time traveller (whatever that means…)

15:35:
Q: Who is your favourite white NBA player?
Let’s put Larry Bird aside…

28:58:
Q: Who was Bison Dele?
“On July 6, 2002 Dele and his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, his brother Miles Dabord and skipper Bertrand Saldo set sail. Only Miles Dabord returned to shore.” Oh-Oh.

30:11:
Q: How does Jordan’s Flu Game compare to Pippen’s foibles?
Calling in sick at work? I know a guy who can write a doctor’s note for you…

33:16:
Q: Speaking of foibles: Bryon Russell Makes The List.
Foolishness.

42:50:
Q: Who is the Jordan of Comedy?
I mean…I think we all know.

44:54:
Our Suggested Titles for Episode X
“The Last Dance.”

1:03:28:
Q: What do you have to say about Game 6?
Hard to get through this without tears.

1:18:00:
Q: Do you feel the way this final Bulls run came together: was it destiny or just the necessary push the Bulls’ needed to conclude their dynasty?
Carpe That Diem.

1:20:30:
Q: With a heavy heart…should we talk about that coffee can scene?
I wanna hear Jordan’s version of Oh The Places You’ll Go!

1:27:34:
Q: What are your recommendations?
The Last Dance is over…pop culture is not.

JT’s Recommendations
Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals
Dave Chappelle’s Equanimity & The Bird Revelation (& The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize)
I Can’t Accept Not Trying: Michael Jordan on the Pursuit of Excellence

DC’s Recommendations
The Truth:
Discover full Bulls games on YouTube; go beyond The Last Dance.

Sammy’s Recommendations
Jason Hehir documentaries:
The Fab Five (ESPN Films)
The ‘85 Bears (a 30 for 30)

Closing Jordan Rap Reference
“Don’t be mad cause you can’t do what I can/Like when Jordan went up, took that shot and switched hands.” Pete Rock: Don’t Be Mad

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“Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations began for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year.”

As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with JT and DC to present Jordan Ain’t No Joke.

Jordan Ain’t No Joke Ep 4 covers Episodes VII and VIII of The Last Dance.

Notable Quotable:
“I had no problem with “The Glove.”” — Michael Jordan

A Deep Three:
For the 1996 NBA Finals…Bulls vs Sonics NBC intro-ed the series and Game 1 to highlights set to…the Terminator Theme song. NBA on NBC is just GOAT level. Wow Just Wow.

1:00
Introductions: The Ice Breaker
Jordan famously left the NBA to play baseball becoming another iconic two sport athlete: so are you Team Bo Knows or Team Neon Deion?

4:05
Our suggested titles for Episode VII
“Way to go Craig.”

9:45
Q: How do you find the documentary’s balance between the personal and the basketball? Like are you missing Jordan’s wife and kids?
She’s an ex-wife…for a reason.

18:13
Q: Do you wish we saw more of Phil Jackson as the Bulls coach?
Phil needs a Last Dance…but like in 11 parts.

24:00
Q: Would you wanna be Jordan’s teammate or face Jordan? Which beating do you want to take?
“Beatings…nothing more than beatings.”

30:35
Q: Was Jordan’s Dad getting murdered connected to his gambling?
Maybe the media was always this bad…at their job…

39:00
Q: Was Jordan suspended for 18 months…True or False?
May as well believe a National Enquirer headline about an Elvis sighting.

48:44
Q: What do those “break” tears mean for Michael Jordan?
Crying Jordan is the new and improved Crying Game.

1:02:24
Q: What are you expecting to see in Episodes Episode IX and X?
The Man; The Myth; The Legend…

1:06:51
Q: Does Pippen’s Bad Light Moments dim the brightness of his NBA career?
Do you love Pippen less because of his flaws or more because of his flaws?

Recommendations
Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim Grover

2 More Tim Grover Recommendations
This SI profile & this GQ profile.

Closing Jordan Rap Reference
“Jay’s status appears to be at an all-time high/Perfect time to say goodbye/When I come back like Jordan/Wearin’ the 4-5/It ain’t to play games witchu/It’s to aim at you.” Jay-Z: Encore

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“Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations began for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year.”

As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with JT and DC to present Jordan Ain’t No Joke.

Jordan Ain’t No Joke Ep 3 covers Episodes V and VI of The Last Dance.

Notable Quotable:
“Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too.” — Michael Jordan

A Deep Three:
“Danny Ainge Ainge was draft by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977 playing for them in 1979. Mostly a second baseman, he played third base and outfield positions as well, hitting .220 in his baseball career with 2 home runs and 146 hits in 211 games. After three years with the Blue Jays, Ainge decided to pursue a career in basketball and was chosen in the 1981 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, who had to buy out Ainge’s contract from the Blue Jays after a legal battle.”

1:00
Introductions: The Ice Breaker
Q: What are your favourite 90s Must See TV Shows (In honour of Jerry Seinfled’s Last Dance cameo)

3:41
Our suggested titles for Episode V
Be Like Mike…Except You Don’t Want To Be Like Mike

7:55
Q: Does it surprise you Spike Lee hasn’t been as involved with The Last Dance?
Did we get Bamboozled?

17:35
Q: Do you know what a sneaker pimp is?
Show Shoes: Shoes To Show

23:00
Q: Do you know how much Jordan shoes make?
There’s no Jordan vs LeBron debate because “Republicans buy sneakers too.”

34:25
Q: “They didn’t know me…why are they doing this to me?”
Toni’s Tears

36:34
Q: Was it a Dream Team or a Mean Team?
Actually it was an NBA Scheme for International ballers

39:26
Q: Is this Isiah Thomas’ Last Dance?
Isiah Thomas’ tears: but I met the criteria!

44:30
Q: Who is the Top Dog?
Jordan is Alpha of the Alphas

46:00
Our suggested titles for Episode VI
Cigarettes instead of cigars…

47:00
Q: When you see the cigars, the drinking, the gambling, the fresh suits: are the Chicago Bulls our generation’s Rat Pack?
Does that make B.J. Armstrong Joey Bishop?!

49:17
Q: Was Jordan’s gambling a media constructed narrative?
Always Bet On Black!

54:29
Q: Was anybody surprised The Last Dance team didn’t use Kenny Rogers The Gambler to score a montage?
Maybe they were chicken… #Rimshot

58:52
Q: Were the Chicago Bulls’ NBA Finals anticlimactic?
The West was not the best…

1:03:25
Q: Did we talk about Kobe yet?
August 23, 1978- January 26, 2020

JT’s Recommendation
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
Bonus Recommendation (Listen for it to be revealed…)

Sammy’s Recommendation
The Dream Team (an NBA TV 2012 documentary)

DC’s Recommendation
YouTube Official Olympics channel

Closing Jordan Rap Reference
“I’m Jordan with the mic, huh, wanna gamble?”
A Tribe Called Quest: Lyrics to Go

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In the first episode of Jordan Ain’t No Joke (a Last Dance podcast) I mentioned sports writer Roland Lazenby who tweeted the following this morning:

Someday maybe, when it’s not busy counting all its cash from the ginned up game, the NBA will realize there will eventually be a cost to eliminating the freedom of style of play for the tyranny of analytics from men who could never beat Tex Winter’s system with fair rules.

— Roland Lazenby (@lazenby) May 2, 2020

Oh man. THAT is what I’ve been trying to say or express I just didn’t know how to do it.

Dude went off today on Twitter…all kinds of rich and insightful NBA gems. Here’s another one:

My overwhelming takeaway from The Last Dance? NBA suits used rules changes to eliminate the triangle offense. Now we have a game turned upside down that makes lots and lots of money. Just don’t pretend that the game “evolved” past the triangle.

— Roland Lazenby (@lazenby) May 2, 2020

We do this for movies: we adjust Star Wars’ box office from 1970s dollars to today’s money factoring in inflation etc.

And it’s not fair to just say Jordan would score 40 points per game in today’s era; it’s cheap like talk. Like we were alive when the NBA introduced the 3 point shot (1979…Larry Bird’s NBA debut actually.). From 1979 to 2020 we’ve seen how that shot has evolved because the NBA game has evolved.

It’s interesting. That’s something we haven’t discussed on the Jordan Ain’t No Joke podcast (yet…) how the game has “evolved” since Jordan and because of Jordan. And again with The Last Dance there’s a lack of context.

The game is not the same..the rules are not the same, the way it’s reffed is not the same. This is an NBA documentary but the NBA is not a static entity. Different NBA eras are not defined solely by players but how the game is played and the rules of the game.

If you’ve a chance read him on Twitter today. His coffee is strong.

This is another one I dug:

Today’s basketball has been concocted by men who were nice guys but inferior, lazy coaches, men filled with ideas but possessed of little discipline. Now the rules enforce that type of game.

— Roland Lazenby (@lazenby) May 2, 2020

Oh Yes. He’s right. These aren’t tweets they’re grenades. It’s the baseball bat scene from Untouchables.

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Photo provided by the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

“Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations began for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year.”

As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with JT and DC to present Jordan Ain’t No Joke.

Jordan Ain’t No Joke Ep 2 covers Episodes III and IV of The Last Dance.

Notable Quotable:
“I could have been a bomb, I could have been in jail, I could have been dead. But I worked my ass off to get here. I created this monster.” — Dennis Rodman

A Deep Three:
“In August 1998, Carmen Electra’s mother died of brain cancer, and two weeks later, her older sister, Debbie, died of a heart attack. During this time, Electra had been dating NBA star Dennis Rodman. She and Rodman wed in November 1998 at Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nine days later, Rodman filed for annulment, claiming he was of “unsound mind” when the pair wed. Electra explained, “It’s easy to get caught up in a moment. You think it’s romantic, but then you realize, God, we did it in Vegas? It’s like getting a cheeseburger at a fast-food restaurant.”” I like that Carmen Electra believes in romance.

1:00:
Introductions: The Ice Breaker
Q: What’s the Air Jordans that got away? (Q: Which Air Jordan shoes do you wish you owned…)

4:25:
Q: From shoebox love to hate: where do you want to start with Episode 3?
Shoutout to Doug Collins’ Perm

6:40:
Q: Are the Pistons unrated…did you appreciate them in real time?
The Hate Is Always Gonna Be There

10:50:
Q: How Do You Solve a Problem like Isiah Thomas?
The Smile vs Dirty Tactics

11:52:
Q: Was the Dream Team Snub justified or did he deserve to be on there?
There’s a Magic but…

13:12:
Q: Where do you stand with the whole walking off without shaking hands?
The Bitterness Never Goes Away

16:25:
Q: Can you gloss over Jordan’s Dunk Contest?
Doug Collins’ Gum becomes “gum powder…”

29:40:
Q: Were you shocked that Rodman a Bad Boy was accepted?
Jordan likes winning more than he enjoys hate (he accepted Rodman)

33:28
Q: Is It still Load Management if it’s Vegas with Carmen Electra?
Rodman will “rebound…”

36:20:
Q: Jordan wants to know: why do you doubt?
“Go home, motherfuckers, go home!”

39:54:
Q: Does it bother you or make you happy we haven’t seen Toni Kukoc yet?
Sure but let’s also talk about The Last Dance soundtrack…

45:04:
Q: Did you like Scott Burrell back in the day?
“This guy…alright.”

47:13:
Q: Did the Pistons make the Bulls better?
Day After Elimination Workouts: It Begins.

40:40:
Q: Pistons won championships while the Knicks did not: if they hadn’t won would we look at them the way we look at the Knicks?
Sadness & Pity

55:14:
Q: For upcoming episodes whose tears are you excited to see?
The Dream Team

59:05:
Q: How many 3 point plays did Jordan average per game over the years?
“And One!”

JT’s Recommendations
30 for 30: The Two Escobars
30 for 30: Jordan Rides the Bus

DC’s Recommendation
Open Gym

Sammy’s Recommendations
30 for 30: Bad Boys
ESPN Films: The Fab Five

Closing Jordan Rap Reference
“I thought you could’ve been Jordan
Found out that you wasn’t even Ben Gordon…” Fabolous: B.O.M.B.S.

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“Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations began for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year.”

As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with JT and DC to present Jordan Ain’t No Joke.

Jordan Ain’t No Joke Ep 1 covers Episodes I and II of The Last Dance.

Notable Quotable:
“Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life and a secret life.” — Gabriel García Marquez

“I mean, at that point, Michael Jordan’s already the ultimate sports alpha male. I mean, the only comparisons I can recall being apt were to Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. That’s it. That’s the list. There’s nobody else on it.” — Michael Wilbon

A Deep Three:
Jordan is drinking tequila according to this ESPN Article: Ramona Shelburne Confirmation…

1:00:
Introductions: The Ice Breaker
Q: What are some of your early Jordan memories? How did Michael Jeffrey Jordan come into your life?

9:30:
Q: Jerry Krause…villain or foil?
Dead Men Don’t Talk

13:40:
Q: Did you fully appreciate Pippen in real time?
That Pippen dunk on Ewing!!

28:32:
Q: Where do you hope to see the series go?
The Last Dance soundtrack

32:30:
Q: Jordan retired for 18 months…was that a trailer of post-Jordan life?
The Sam Smith Agenda

38:45:
Q: Did The Last Dance blow an opportunity for structure?
The Last Dense?

48:43:
Q: Would the Bulls (had they stayed together) won the lockout year (instead of the Spurs)?
Nick Anderson Tears

58:22:
Q: Do you consider Jordan mean?
Feelings Are Not Facts

1:02:25:
Q: Do the ends justify the means?
Bill Wennington has rings; Barkley and Stockton etc. do not. So…

JT’s Recommendations
Kobe Muse
Kobe Doin’ Work
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

Sammy’s Recommendations
Roland Lazenby’s NBA biographies:
Michael Jordan: The Life
Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant

Closing Jordan Rap Reference
“Psycho: I’m liable to go Michael, take your pick Jackson, Tyson, Jordan, Game 6
(Ball so hard) Got a broken clock…” Jay-Kanye: Niggas in Paris

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By the way…we’ll talk about Picard in a moment however can we talk about me for a moment?

The My Pal Sammy episodes…the solo ramblings podcasts I record? They are actively and consistently downloaded all this past month.

I just record them and post em. I don’t promote them or really mention them. (My Pal Sammy: Kobe Bryant (RIP Black Mamba) one was the first one I sorta promoted via the My Pal Sammy newsletter.)

It’s shocking to me. It means a) people are googling the most random stuff and it is coming up and 2) people seem to dig em? Is that how I’m supposed to read that?

In a month I posted 2 brand new interviews/episodes My Pal Sammy: Round 2 Episode 2 (The Chosen 3) podcast was my second most consumed episode for January. And in the UK as well as across America.

Super strange.

I don’t know how the internet works.

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My Summer Lair Chapter #98: Does It Hold Up?

In a conversation that revolves around nostalgia, does it hold up? It’s a scary question to ask. Because it could lead to hurt…or disappointment…I mean what if doesn’t hold up? Unless you’re optimistic like Sean Jordan, better known by his stage name Wordburglar than asking does it hold up? It’s all about getting back into the things you adore and make your heart sing.

Over the course of this conversation we cover comic books, movies, his two podcasts, Do You Still Like This? and Weekend At Burgie’s, comic book shop experiences, and his latest – and to me – best album: Rhyme Your Business.

If you haven’t heard Wordburglar’s Rhyme Your Business, as a comic book-slash-movie-slash-hip hop nerd, you’ll dig it (see how many references you can identify). I open this conversation with Mic Heckla, then break it up with Rental Patient, and finally end on a high note with Damage Control. Yes!

(We don’t really explain it in the talk, but “Damage Control is a fictional construction company appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The company specializes in repairing the property damage caused by conflicts between superheroes and supervillains.” Fresh, right?)

Set List (all the tracks are from Rhyme Your Business)
Mic Heckla (prod. by Fresh Kils w Uncle Fes)
Rental Patient (prod. by Beatmason)
Damage Control feat. Esoteric (prod. by Beatmason, cuts by Uncle Fes)

Wordburglar @ W • T • F

Recorded: Thursday January 10, 2019 at 6:30pm

Every Christmas break I pantlessly sit and watch and absorb a lot of pop culture (books, comic books, tv shows and movies) and then I have tea and I think a lot and I write a lot so this time I’m recording a handful of My Pal Sammy episodes; this is my Captain’s Log…a record of some of the pop culture I’ve been consuming and some of the stuff I’ve been thinking about over my 2018 Christmas Break.

Listen here or click on the handy dandy download link.

Tonight…January 6th, 2019 and as I sip my Lady Grey tea I’m wrapping up the fifth and final My Pal Sammy 2018 Christmas Break episode. I’m back to my community but first let’s talk about…

The Wizard of Oz (a terrible summary)
Uncle Drew

Thanks for listening.

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