The Last Dance stands out as one of the most captivating and discussed sports documentaries ever produced, thanks to its plethora of memorable moments and revelations spread across its 10 episodes.
Centered on the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls and the iconic Michael Jordan, the series also provided significant spotlight moments for several other prominent figures in basketball, albeit not always in the most flattering light.
One notable absence from The Last Dance that many anticipated was LeBron James, a modern NBA luminary whose name often enters discussions about the greatest basketball player of all time alongside Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Director Jason Hehir disclosed on The Bill Simmons Podcast that omitting LeBron was a deliberate choice. He explained:
“Once you open that door, then you have to have that discussion, and I was never interested in that discussion.” He emphasized the documentary’s focus on the 1990s era, stating that LeBron wasn’t part of that narrative.
Furthermore, Hehir shed light on various behind-the-scenes anecdotes during his conversation with Bill Simmons, including an instance where Michael Jordan’s team requested the removal of a particular scene.
He shared, “The only time we ever got pushback that I had to take something out was there was a clip of Scottie [Pippen] in the training room… saying something to the effect that when they win the championship, he’s going to take a cattle prod and stick it up Jerry Krause’s a– and give him a heart attack.”
Regarding Scottie Pippen’s discontent with his portrayal in The Last Dance, Hehir speculated that Pippen may not have watched the entire series due to the negative feedback he received, stating, “I have my theory… that he hasn’t watched the whole thing and was told by so many people they did you wrong.”
Despite any resulting dissatisfaction, Hehir expressed no regrets about the documentary’s outcome, remarking, “I’ll never get to talk to him again about it, and I regret the way that anyone would feel bad coming out of it. But if everyone feels great about a doc at the end of it, then you probably didn’t do your job.”
