10 Reasons Why The Last Dance On Netflix Is Unmissable

After Jordan, the player people credit with the success of The Bulls is Scottie Pippen. Drafted to the Bulls in 1987 following a trade with the Seattle Supersonics, Pippen became the defensive muscle and dedicated facilitator Jordan had long craved to push the team to the next level. And the series makes no mistake to leave him out.

In fact, the portrayal of his story is almost as important as MJ's.

Pippen did a lot of the carrying to ensure Michael could shine and the Bulls could win, often without getting credit. This lack of credit is highlighted throughout the series. Despite being one of the best players in the league and central to the success of the team, Scottie Pippen’s pay was amongst the lowest in the NBA. The antagonist of the series, Bulls general manager Jerry Krause shows no intention of renegotiating Pippen’s contract. This leads to Pippen purposefully delaying surgery to miss the start of the 97-98 season and even considering a trade away from the Bulls.

Apart from his underappreciation, Pippen’s own flaws are on show in The Last Dance. Most notably a 1994 Play-Off game against The New York Knicks. With 1.8 seconds to go in the game and tied at 102, coach Phil Jackson trusts the ball and final shot not to Pippen but to Toni Kukoč.

In the middle of a potential MVP season and being the star of the team following Michael’s retirement, Pippen is deeply frustrated by the lack of trust and refuses to take to the court for the remainder of the game. Kukoč makes the shot and the Bulls win, but Pippen’s actions leads to confrontation in the locker room.