"The Last Dance was a lie" - Jordan Rules author Sam Smith

[1987_Lakers]

"There were several things in the documentary that I saw, I would know, that (Jordan) made up or he lied about," Smith said in an interview with Bonta, Steiny and Guru of 95.7 The Game. "They weren't major things, but it was like when a TV movie comes on and they say, 'This is based on a true story.' That's what that was. It was based on a true story."

Smith said the idea that players might reunite for one more season was hogwash, in so many words, and that the producers "had the outlines" of the events but the details were a bit murky.

He also said the infamous Pizza Game/Flu Game/Food Poisoning Game story — in which Jordan and his trainer alluded to a late-night snack potentially being poisoned — was "complete nonsense," adding that Jordan was certainly sick but it wasn't from the pizza (or a hangover).

The series wasn't without its flaws, and as Smith notes in the interview, the docuseries was a "Michael Jordan hagiography" more than it was a revelatory or investigative documentary surrounding the Jordan-era Bulls. Since its conclusion, Smith, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Pizza Hut employees have all either called into question Jordan's veracity or the portrayals of one another during the doc.

While the legend of Jordan certainly grew throughout "The Last Dance," maybe we are now further from the truth than we wanted to be.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/...z1tvzucwl14lvo

[Roundball_Rock]

DR's head will explode.

[ELITEpower23]

The plot thickens

[dirkdiggler41]

What sucks is most NBA nerds will know this, but there are so many people who watch this and look at it as fact.

[Roundball_Rock]

What sucks is most NBA nerds will know this, but there are so many people who watch this and look at it as fact.

Yup, that's the problem all along. Especially since the media accepted it as gospel without any scrutiny of MJ (they did give plenty of scrutiny to others in the doc).

[Soundwave]

So exactly what in the documentary isn't true?

He basically says Jordan was sick but he doesn't think it was the pizza.

OK ... and? What else?

[dazzer87]

The meltdown is still going strong.....Doc is over...

[Soundwave]

Yeah ok so he says basically the major parts of the doc are true, he has quibbles with minor parts of it like he thinks the flu game was just a flu and not pizza, but really who the f*ck is he to talk about someone else that is actually happened to? lol, like he an authority on Michael Jordan's medical condition above Michael Jordan?

I'm sure he's probably not happy that one of the sources for his book (Grant) got outed.

[ArbitraryWater]

Yikes.


MJ did himself no favors with this doc.

He did amongst the casuals and even complete nobodies to basketball (this doc was trending in the netflix top 10 in many countries), but not amongst people watching and knowing ball.

[Soundwave]

Yikes.


MJ did himself no favors with this doc.

He did amongst the casuals and even complete nobodies to basketball (this doc was trending in the netflix top 10 in many countries), but not amongst people watching and knowing ball.

The 10 morons on this site and the bubble of denial they live in sure, the rest of the world loved this documentary, it was a massive hit. No one will give a crap about a LeBron doc 5 years from now let alone 20 years. More people will be interested in a Kobe Bryant one which will inevitably come.

[Lebron23]

Jordan rewriting history.

[Soundwave]

Jordan rewriting history.

What specifically was rewritten? Sam Smith even admits most of the major points are on point, he just takes issue with some minor quibbles.

Michael Jordan has a right to tell things from his POV, every other major athlete has done so for their career, Jordan has remained largely quiet for 20 years, people want to hear his POV.

[Cyrus334]

If they weren't major things then why the **** should anyone care lol? It'd be one thing if Jordan blatantly lied about a major event happening and tried to erase it but if it's small things that he lied about to make himself better or make the doc more entertaining then I don't see the problem.

If Lebron made a documentary and did the exact same thing, I'd be fine with that too.

[Lebron23]

The 10 morons on this site and the bubble of denial they live in sure, the rest of the world loved this documentary, it was a massive hit. No one will give a crap about a LeBron doc 5 years from now let alone 20 years. More people will be interested in a Kobe Bryant one which will inevitably come.

For the kids who were born in the early to mid 2000's LeBron is their Michael Jordan. LeBron shoes are still very popular. And his Jerseys are still selling like hot pancakes. You're a dumb @$$ if you think people would forget a 4x nba mvp, and 3x finals mvp. LeBron likely finish his career with 5 finals mvp.

[Soundwave]

If they weren't major things then why the **** should anyone care lol? It'd be one thing if Jordan blatantly lied about a major event happening and tried to erase it but if it's small things that he lied about to make himself better or make the doc more entertaining then I don't see the problem.

If Lebron made a documentary and did the exact same thing, I'd be fine with that too.

Yeah for the 15 people that will care 10 years from now, will LeBron be doing one where he addresses the buzz around him using steroids? Leaving Cleveland because a teammate slept with his mother? Will he allow those topics to even be addressed? Doubt it.