6 Epic Sporting Stories That Deserve The Last Dance Treatment

By Alex Antliff / June 11, 2020

Netflix and ESPN’s ‘The Last Dance’ has been one of the year’s biggest television highlights so far, engaging basketball and non-basketball fans alike with its parallel showcase of both the final chapter in the Chicago Bulls second NBA ‘three-peat’ in 1998 and the path that led them there, beginning with their drafting of Michael Jordan in 1984.

Jordan takes centre stage across the series’ ten episodes, with his career on the court and his life off of it, including topics such as his brief baseball career, his gambling problems and the tragic murder of his father, covered in great detail with footage, interviews and insight from a variety of personalities. These range from legends of the game such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird to two former presidents in the form of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

The series hasn’t been without controversy, as the centricity on Jordan at the expense of the rest of the team and his creative control over its content has aggrieved several of his former teammates, even those who appear extensively throughout the series such as Scottie Pippen.

Regardless of this, however, the series has proved to be a huge hit, scoring sizable viewing figures and siting in the 90s on both Metacritic and RottenTomatoes. A sequel of sorts focused on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots has been mooted, but here are some more European-focused sporting stories we’d love to see shared with the world.

6. Schumacher And Brawn In F1

It has now been almost seven years since Michael Schumacher was placed in a medically induced coma. Updates from his family have been few and far between in the years since and it is a tragic fate for such a legendary driver, widely considered to be the best to ever sit in a Formula One car.

Winning seven championships for two different teams, Schumacher’s talent behind the wheel was matched by that of Ross Brawn in the pit. He joined Benetton in 1991, the same year as Schumacher, following him to Ferrari in 1997 and being credited for the development of both teams into championship contenders with his mastery of racing strategy. His success continued even after Schumacher’s retirement, building his own team (Brawn GP) that evolved into the Lewis Hamilton-fronted Mercedes outfit that dominates the grid today.

The intertwining tale of the two men and how they fed off of each other would make for a riveting watch, as would the exploration of some of Schumacher’s more controversial actions that attempted to jeopardise the championship hopes of his rivals.

Netflix have a proven track record with Formula One documentaries, having enjoyably covered the two most recent championships with their Drive To Survive series, telling the stories of each team, their drivers and principals in their quest for racing success. Mixing the accessibility and interview depth of this with a focus on the men themselves akin to Asif Kapadia’s Senna would be a surefire hit.