The Last Dance: Looking back at the top 5 moments from the documentary

2. MJ breaks down after winning his fourth championship on Father’s Day, also his first since his father’s death and unretiring from his subsequent baseball stint

If you ever saw Space Jam starring Michael Jordan, you knew how much Michael looked up to his father from the scene in which young Michael shares his dreams with his dad in a way that only a child who is looking up to their hero can.

Michael had a special relationship with his father from the times James Jordan pushed Michael to be better on the court as a boy to when Michael won his first championship as there is a legendary picture of Michael emotionally hugging his first-ever championship trophy in 1991 with his father beside him.

Michael Jordan always credited his father as the most influential individual in his life, which is why he was so deeply affected when his father tragically died in 1993.

Michael was not only an amazing basketball player but grew up an amazing baseball player as well with baseball being his father’s favorite sport. This led to a day that LeBron James has admittedly said made him cry when he was nine years old as Michael Jordan announced his retirement shortly after his father’s death and Michael’s third championship win in 1993, to go and play professional baseball.

Although people within the Chicago White Sox organization said Jordan could have made it from their farm team to the majors if he stuck with baseball, MJ’s itch to play in the NBA was too strong as he sent his infamous fax to the league in late 1995 that simply read, “I’m Back.”  

There is simply no statistic that can show the marvel of Jordan getting thinner as a baseball player, taking a year and a half off, reconstructing his body in his thirties to that of a basketball player, coming back bigger and stronger reclaiming his throne as the unquestioned best basketball player in the world. In fact, Michael was so good that along with a rejuvenated Scottie Pippen and newly acquired Dennis Rodman, along with legendary coach Phil Jackson and an incredible supporting cast, he led his Bulls to a 72–10 record, which stood as the greatest record of all time for over 20 years.

However, as the Bulls made the playoffs the death of Michael’s father weighed heavy on him with Father’s Day approaching as these were Michael’s first NBA Finals without his father and the Bulls needed to win the championship with their new record to cement themselves as the greatest team of all-time.

The Chicago Bulls with a prime Michael Jordan (some argue this was his best year) and the Seattle SuperSonics featuring Gary Payton, fresh off becoming the smallest Defensive Player of the Year winner ever, and all-star dunker Shawn Kemp.

This series went to game six, which coincided on Father’s Day as Jordan tearfully thanked his father after winning the championship emotionally saying he knew his dad was watching before breaking down in tears on the floor in the locker room attributing his fourth championship, and first since coming back to the NBA after his retirement, to his recently deceased role model, James Jordan.