Encore: The Story of Michael Jordan's REAL Last Dance

Jordan, open, Chicago with the lead! The Chicago Bulls have won their sixth NBA Championship! yes by now they're pretty much everyone in the country who's listening at all knows that   Michael Jordan is retiring again from professional  basketball I am here to announce my retirement in   the basketball I had my great man basketball  about what you guys say about coming hanging   around the game let's still leather get better at  being further back speculation has ended rumors   confirmed the greatest player of all time  is back and he's wearing a Wizards uniform you the story of Michael Jordan needs no introduction  the tales of his journey to becoming one of the   greatest athletes the world has ever seen from  being cut by his high school varsity team to   the flu game have been sold countless times some  becoming somewhat legends themselves however for   many the journey of Jordan as a basketball icon  ends the day he hung up his Bulls jersey the   headlines end the documentary stopped filming  and the spotlight fades away and while that   was the last time the world saw Michael at his  most memorable the reality is that's not where   the story ends there's more chapters in his legacy  that deserve to be explored a brief moment in time   where we saw one of the game's greats try to defy  father time and for a split second maybe you did following Jordan's retirement after winning  his sixth championship in Chicago professional   basketball moved on just like it does after all  great players retired MJ had distanced himself   from the game as much as possible occasionally  stopping into the facilities to play pickup games   but trying hard to avoid speculation he would  ever make a return hey my grin basketball no   matter what you guys say about coming hang around  the game in the Bulls absence new dynasties rolls   in the place of old ones and new stars emerge from  the shadows of past icons the end of the 90s saw   the birth of some of what would be basketballs  brightest stars for decades to come players   like Kobe Bryant Tim Duncan Vince Carter and  Allen Iverson all grew to become the faces of   a new era in the NBA and for a competitor like  Michael Jordan who was watching from a distance   this presented a new challenge only this time it  wasn't on the court I mean you ever have second   thoughts you everything you know like today I just  feel like I should be playing no no I don't regret   my decision at all I think it's the appropriate  one what else no one else to have an opportunity   to win if I keep playing after being away from the  game of basketball for almost two years in January   of 2000 Michael Jordan agreed to a five-year deal  to become the head of basketball operations for   the Washington Wizards this included a minority  stake in the ownership of the team which was   set to raise to 20% if the Wizards exceeded  expectations in his time off the court Jordan   had become increasingly interested in running  a franchise even trying to purchase the bench   Charlotte Hornets before the deal fell through you  were gonna buy a team what it would be the Hornets   right sure sure well actually they came to me I  think I didn't search out there opportunity they   came to me and say well what do you think about  and I evaluated it and I just didn't fit you know   I want to have a lot more control than what they  were willing to give and yeah yeah respectfully I   mean he he made the choice that he wanted to make  and I don't disagree with that me I'm happy that   he did but you know I could not participate if it  if I couldn't make the final decision on my money   Michael's new world allowed him total freedom to  build a franchise the way he wanted something that   he wasn't sure of saying quote this is new to  me being in charge of something I never had the   opportunity to do maybe that's not the ingredient  to turn this thing around then again it may be   that's the beauty of trying Jordan had its ups and  downs in his first offseason in control choosing   to reach for High School standout Kwame Brown with  the number one overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft   round go on to have a 12-year NBA career where he  put up respectable numbers but never lived up to   the expectations of a number one overall pick  in the meantime Michael was left with the task   of rebuilding a team that had finished with the  second worst record in the entire NBA how would   the greatest competitor the game had ever seen on  the court be able to turn around a franchise off   of it however instead of bringing in a new front  office reevaluating the roster and bringing in   young assets to replace the older players on the  roster Jordan chose to do something different on   April 20 2001 the Wizards announced the hiring  of 49 year-old Doug Collins to become the team's   new head coach Collins had been the coach of a  young Michael Jordan during his early years as   a bull and had been out of the league since  1998 naturally this raised some speculation   about whether or not Jordan was considering a  comeback over the course of the offseason Jordan   hadn't made any changes besides adding his own  former head coach and drafting a promising big   man to the roster failing to land many younger  players are assets to the team now with 2001   quickly approaching some big questions were being  raised in DC just as the media had speculated for   months prior on September 25th 2001 a 38 year  old Michael Jordan announced his return to the   game of basketball after almost three years  the greatest player of the game had ever seen   was making a comeback to the hardwood the move  was met by a mixture of excitement and concern   with many die-hard fans believing Jordan could run  the storybook ending to his career however none of   this phase Michael the entire offseason leading  up to the 2001 season Jordan had been quietly   training to get back into playing shape inviting  many of the top players from around the NBA to   complete organized pick-up games just as I started  to play against some of the players who played   in the league see if I could get some of my moves  off maintain some type of consistency to stay with   them although I know this is not the summer is not  the same as a season I was looking for any kind of   signs that would give me the motivation hey if I  get in start working fit fiblets Fitness whines I   get myself in shape I can compete back and I can  make this thing work on October 30th 2001 Michael   Jordan made his return to the NBA in Madison  Square Garden against the Knicks the build-up   to the game made it one of the most anticipated  matches of the year as the last time the world had   seen Jordan on the court was the 98 finals Michael  would score his first basket less than two minutes   into the game having an up-and-down game on his  way to a 19 point outing with 18 seconds left the   Wizards had the ball with the chance to tie the  game everyone in the garden that night knew who   would take the shot and it seemed like this was  the beginning of a new chapter in Jordan's legacy this is down by three the Wizards will go on to lose by 2 in their  opening game and leave many people wondering if   Jordan had made the right decision in his return  as the early season wore on Washington got off   to a slow start winning only two of their first 11  games and struggling to find chemistry though they   were far from competing for championships Jordan  still had championship expectations in practice   pushing some of the young players harder than  many of them were ready for like I tell people   Michael was fun getting the meet personality  but then there was also another side where it   was the talk in trash Michael Jordan and at times  me and a couple of young guys would come up to him   say a might once you think about putting us in  the brand Jordan collections hey and he'd look   at me and say hey Rick my sneaker my sneakers  for all-stars in addition to this the team was   struggling with the newfound national spotlight  though they had gotten off to a rough start MJ was   still must-see TV and the Wizards had gone from  28th in the league in attendance to selling out   every home game and found themselves on national  TV almost every night an overtime win against the   Celtics sparks 16 wins over their next 25 games  putting them on pace to make the playoffs for   the first time since being eliminated by none  other than Jordan and the Bulls back in 1997 but Washington Bullets over this stretch Michael  was averaging over 25 points per game showcasing a   scoring ability that many people didn't think he  still had specifically after a bad loss against   the Pacers Jordan was out to prove that he could  still play when I was coaching in Washington we   played the Indiana Pacers and we were down 25 at  the end of the third quarter and I took Michael   out of the game and I said look Michael I know  you think we can still win this game but we got   to play you know in tonight's and and if we make  a little run I'll put you back in the game what   we didn't well I found out that after the game was  over that he had eight points in the game and he   broke a streak of like eight hundred and sixty  something games in double figures fast forward   we get on the plane and get back about 3:30 in the  morning in Washington we play the New Jersey Nets   the next night and Michael scores the first three  times he has the ball Byron Scott takes a timeout   and Michael comes over he's on with the ball right  there the rest of the game and don't take me out   till I tell you and so that's that's fine by me  but with two minutes to go in the game he gives me   the sign like that's enough I take him out of the  game he walks over the bench I said like Michael   like what happened to me he said well the guy was  guarding me and was telling me told me his back   was hurting don't ever tell me you got a problem  he said how I'll make you pay for that 51 points   later 51 points at age 41 he came back the next  game with 46 and he looked at me said I told you   I could still play Jordan's 51 point performance  against the Hornets was the record for points in a   game by someone over the age of 38 at the time and  was followed up by a 45 point out in the very next   game against the Nets proving that MJ was still  capable of being one of the game's best players   even past his prime during these two games Michael  was scoring at will getting to all his spots with   ease and showcasing a veteran skill set that was  much different from the Jordan we've seen in the   past crafty layups around the rim replaced  high-flying dunks and fadeaway elbow jumpers   filled the stat sheet in a set of acrobatic  finishes Michael Jordan was no longer the player   of the world fell in love with in Chicago but one  thing remained the same he could still prove all   the critics wrong heading into the all-star break  Michael Jordan was on pace to have one of the best   individual seasons of any player that year in fact  Jordan and Kobe Bryant were the only two players   in the entire league averaging 25 points five  assists and five rebounds per game putting Michael   at the heart of the MVP race midseason he had  motivated his Wizards team to a respectful record   after being one of the worst teams in the NBA  the year before and Washington saw young players   like Rip Hamilton becoming reliable threats  every night then just as it appeared things   were headed in the right direction everything  changed the last game before all-star weekend he hurt his knee Jordyn would collide with  teammate etan thomas resulting in a lateral tear   in his meniscus he would try to push through the  injury but after losing nine out of the next ten   games while trying to fight through the pain he  finally had enough On February 27 jordan elected   to have arthroscopic knee surgery to repair the  torn cartilage in his knee and after attempting   to make a second return that season decided to  sit out for the rest of the year Jordan's first   season with the Wizards was filled with ups and  downs on the scoreboard but Michael had proven   that he could still compete with the NBA's best he  averaged 22 points per game and led the team with   five assists helping to lead the Wizards to an 18  win improvement over the previous season now there   were multiple questions surrounding the future  of Jordan and Washington and the 2002 offseason   could determine the future of the franchise  the 2002 offseason marked a crossroads for   the Wizards organization with Jordan announcing  he will return for the following season the team   was left with two options should they bring in  young talent to help build for the future or   should they try to wear their young assets to  bring in some players that would help the team   win now what Michaels playing days inevitably  numbered not surprising when he the team chose   to do the former signing an established score  and Larry Hughes and trading away a young Rip   Hamilton to the Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse  Hamilton was coming up the best year in his young   career and would go on to win two championships  with Detroit and make multiple all-star teams   meanwhile Stackhouse had established himself  as one of the NBA's best players over the years   averaging 29.8 points per game just one year prior  if the direction was uncertain before these moves   confirmed the Wizards intentions it was now or  never to make a playoff push some people would   question these moves at the time wondering why a  franchise would throw many of their young assets   to the side and hopes of winning without going on  forty year old Michael Jordan that being said the   stage was set the world would become MJ's final  NBA season and the spotlight on Washington was   brighter than ever Michael's second year in  Washington took on a much different look from   the first with Jordan still nursing his lingering  knee injury from the year prior he elect to come   off the bench it's a sixth man for the beginning  of the season injuries would take a toll on the   Wizards throughout the first half of the season  causing MJ to eventually take his place back in   the starting lineup interestingly enough he  would be the only one on the roster to play   in all 82 games that season averaging an insane  37 minutes per game at the age of 40 the team   itself was inconsistent throughout the season  never overcoming the 500 mark and just barely   being out of playoff contention in a weakened East  for the majority of the year while Stackhouse had   become the primary threat offensively Jordan  remained the highlight of the team throughout   the season averaging 20 points per game on  the year and scoring over 40 points per game   in three games that season including becoming the  only player in NBA history to score more than 40   at the age of 40 the most memorable moment came  at 2003's all-star weekend where Jordan would   be voted in for his final all-star appearance  Atlanta was buzzing with nostalgia as people had   begun to realize this was the last time we would  see Michael alongside the NBA's best though he'd   been voted in as a reserve for the game numerous  players offered or in their starting spot was   he eventually accepted from Vince Carter the game  itself serves as one of the last iconic moments we   have Jordan on our would Michael went toe-to-toe  with some of the very players who had grown up   idolizing him and finally got to have a faceoff  with the student of his own game Kobe Bryant at halftime Jordan was honored with the tribute  for Mariah Carey a performance that served as   the perfect send-off from the NBA's biggest  stage however this tribute wasn't the only   glimpse of vintage Jordan that would be  seen that night with the game on the line   in the east in possession everyone in  the arena knew who was taking the shot strikes while the game would end up being won by the West  and double overtime I go had given the world one   last moment add to his legend something that many  thought they would never see again Michael Jordan   would play his last professional basketball game  on April 16 2003 against the 76ers the basketball   loving Philly crowd was electric and everyone  wanted to get a glimpse of Michael's last moments   on the hardwood the game itself didn't have  much to offer Jordan struggled from the theater   eventually took a seat with the game out of reach  but chance from the crowd for Mike to step back   onto the court for one last time at the end of the  game were met with Jordan slowly getting out of   his seat and making his way to the scorer's table  Michael would be intentionally fouled and hit two   shots at the free throw line for the final points  of his NBA career it wasn't the storybook ending   the Jordan's last game in Chicago had been there  were no championships on the line no national   spotlight and no game winner the greatest player  that had ever touched a basketball to that day   walked off the court and into the darkness of  the tunnel for the final time Michael Jordan's   returned to the game of basketball in Washington  will always be seen by many as an eyesore to a   storybook career the images of him jogging his  way up and down NBA courts in a Wizards uniform   against NBA stars who were much younger than him  will always pale in comparison to the memories of   him flying through the air of Chicago and winning  championships but to ignore the way the story ends   means you miss out on the beauty of his final  moments on the hardwood very few people ever get   to be the best at what they do forever but even  fewer get the opportunity to return past their   prime and prove that they still have a glimpse  of what made them great Jordan's last years with   the Wizards gave Michael the chance to face off  against some of what would become the NBA's next   wave of star players meaning he had played against  three generations of the best the game had offer   no Michael wasn't the same dominant player that  the world fell in love with but at the age of 40   he was still able to compete at the game's highest  level even proving at times that he was still one   of the best players in the world time doesn't  slow down for anyone but to be able to defy time   for even a moment the same way he seemed to once  the five gravity is what made Jordans time with   the Wizards it's so special what's going on y'all  this is Troy so I want to thank you for taking the   time I did there to watch this video thank you for  your constant support this is one of the most fun   projects I've ever been a part of it was a lot of  fun to do a lot of research on Michael Jordan and   kind of how his career ended he's always been one  of my favorite players so diving into the way his   career came to a close was very interesting to me  huge shot up to the producers of The Last Dance on   ESPN the Netflix they inspired this project  and made me really want to dive deeper into   documentary style videos so hopefully you enjoyed  it it took a lot of time like I said this is the   first video I really promoted a lot on social  media myself creating some Twitter pages and   things like that so if you came from that campaign  thank you for taking the time to research this   video and find it it means a lot to me personally  and I'm hoping that you enjoyed it and you got   something out of it if you were interested in all  in this type of continent please subscribe to my   channel I have a lot of different basketball  content on my channel that is very in-depth   like this and enjoyable and I'm always looking  for ways to entertain you guys so please check   those out subscribe for more content remember to  turn on post notifications so you don't miss any   of my new projects that drop as soon as they  hit YouTube I don't think any more time of the   other day remember to connect with me on social  media as always this has been trice god bless

Channel: Trice

Views: 2,236,378

Keywords: Michael Jordan, The Last Dance, Michael Jordan Wizards, Michael Jordan Encore, Encore Documentary, Michael Jordan Washington Wizards, Michael Jordan Last Dance, Michael Jordan Bulls, Michael Jordan retirement, Michael Jordan Documentary, Michael Jordan career, Trice, NBA, ESPN, Michael Jordan dunk, Jordan, Last Dance, Encore

Id: F7l1Go5U-Nw

Length: 20min 53sec (1253 seconds)

Published: Sun May 17 2020