Official Michael Jordan 'The Last Dance' Doc Thread (NO SPOILERS)

They got this nikka fighting crime in the sewers with shorts on

 

I got a modified Wii that has all the NES, SNES, SEGA, N64 and Gamecube games on it going to play this shyt today

 

Isiah a bytch.

 

Watching this again it confirms for me that what makes people like Jordan successful is a driven mindset to overcome obstacles. To be willing to suffer temporary discomfort to get to success.

This is true of any successful person. Whether it was Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or even a business person like Jeff Bezos working long hours to build Amazon.com.

And so, it got me to thinking about why so many people attach these mythical characteristics to successful people. "Jordan is alien", "he is different", "he was born with such and such abilities." I don't believe those things. I think all this is somewhat unfair and undermines the actual work that goes into being great.

In the documentary itself, Jordan talks about the battles he went through in his own family...trying to get the attention and approval of his father...fighting with his brothers after games. Getting cut from his high school basketball team. Things he describes as traumatic experiences at the time, but things that wound up being the foundation of his determination later on in life. Having parents that pushed him to work hard and take what he wanted also helped tremendously. His mother's words of encouragement after he got cut was what drove him to improve that summer. That he hit a growth spurt was secondary.

It reminds me of this quote (and I may be paraphrasing): If a thing is possible for any other man, it is possible for you, too. I'm not sure who said this. I've seen it attributed to Marcus Aurelius and a few others but I think the idea is generally true.

All of this to say that if there is a takeaway from The Last Dance, it is that success isn't an accident. It isn't because someone was born with certain gifts (although I concede it plays some part). It is because of their willingness to push forward relentlessly.

And so, while I do have some criticisms about the objectivity of the documentary itself, what stands out from this is the degree to which this can serve as inspiration for a lot of people who feel stuck in whatever situation they may be in.

Seen through that lens, I have a bit of a different appreciation for The Last Dance now.

 

What if you are not talented or intelligent? Can you still achieve huge success like they did?

 

Well,

Let me backtrack a bit. I should not have said that anyone could achieve what Michael Jordan achieved. That may have been ...too strong a declaration. Or, perhaps I should have said that a person COULD achieve what Jordan did, but that does not mean they WILL.

It is probably more fair to say that when a person chases greatness, what they are really chasing is to be the best version of themselves every day. And over time, as one looks back...there is the opportunity for reflection and comparisons in whatever context you can choose.

Jordan may have wanted to be the greatest player ever. But I suspect that underneath that, he wanted to just be better. Great, successful people may have certain goals because that provides a marker. But they don't stop there. Right? If Jordan says "I worked hard because I wanted a title so that I could be in that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson conversation"...well...he achieved that in 1991. And if that was the ultimate purpose behind his work then he would have quit right then.

So to get back to your question...what if a person is not talented or intelligent? Well, talents and intelligence can be learned. They can be improved upon. I mean obviously with something like the NBA, if you're 5'3...that's just not in the cards for you. But that does not mean that a somewhat equivalent kind of greatness to what Jordan achieved is not within your grasp...in another field of work. If you are not intelligent in...say...city planning...that does not mean you can never become a developer. If you are determined enough you can learn it. Other people have, so why not you? Why should a person place these barriers and limits around themselves?

There's that quote by Henry Ford that says "Whether you think you can, or think you can't...you're right".

 

It’s literally Super Mario Bros. in Chicago but with

I guess they saw the game and said yeahhh we can do that with Michael Jordan

 

Good shyt

 

I agree. Most people don’t try to become the best version of themselves so they never get a chance to discover their hidden talents.

 

Very true.

What I am learning is that a lot of it has to do with the conversations we have with ourselves.

We put these imaginary barriers around ourselves all the time.

"I'm not good at math"
"I can't run a mile"
"I'm bad at public speaking"
"I can't save money"

...and so on.

Well, yeah. If we convince ourselves of it, it is true before we even act.

That, or we give up because something does not come easy.

What this documentary should show people is that over time...incremental improvement amounts to a lot. It took Jordan 7-8 years to become a champion. So why do so many people give up on things after minutes or hours or months?

At least, that's how I am perceiving all of this now.

 

Def on point…I think it’s all based on having false beliefs about achieving things in life…if you don’t try then you can’t fail and get your feelings hurt

 

This was a great watch.

Was born in 86 and watched all his play off runs growing up, but I learned a lot watching this

 

What do you all think were the best episodes in the documentary?

 

I didn't see the last few episodes. Now I see what the gif of MJ holding the tablet and laughing was about