ESPN to release Chicago Bulls documentary “The Last Dance” April 19th

This goes without saying, but the COVID-19 outbreak has basically ruined just about everything there is to ruin across the globe. In the United States specifically businesses, schools, and yes, sporting events have been shut down in order to save as many people as we possibly can and to keep from overloading our limited healthcare systems. It’s perhaps one of the weirdest, most jarring experiences that everybody alive today will go through as a global collective, and it’s extremely depressing that live sports aren’t here to help us get through it all.

You know what is here to help us get through it? ESPN’s documentary about arguably the best dynasty in the history of the NBA, and in my completely and utterly bias opinion, one of the best non-Dream Team basketball teams ever. That’s right, I am talking about the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls 30 for 30 “The Last Dance”, and ESPN is releasing it on April 19th, which is two months ahead of its original release date.

Once the NBA shut down and it became more and more evident that the 2019-20 season is done for the unforeseeable future, people on social media began to call on ESPN to release their mini-series ahead of schedule. It’s safe to say that the original release date was set with the end of the NBA season in mind, so there wasn’t much reason to hold off showing it to the world any longer than they needed to. The cries for the series rang louder and louder, and eventually LeBron James voiced his own desire for the series to release:

Here is the statement released by ESPN in regards to the early release of the much-anticipated documentary:

As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience. We’ve heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve been able to accelerate the production schedule to do just that. This project celebrates one of the greatest players and dynasties ever, and we hope it can serve as a unifying entertainment experience to fill the role that sports often play in our lives, telling a story that will captivate everyone, not just sports fans.

ESPN hearing our cries is a win for basketball fans everywhere, and it’ll be a great way to get through the stay-at-home orders placed upon us while we try to lower the amount of Coronavirus cases in the US and across the globe. Here are the dates for each episode in the 10-part series:

Episodes 1 & 2: April 19th

Episodes 3 & 4: April 26th

Episodes 5 & 6: May 3rd

Episodes 7 & 8: May 10th

Episodes 9 & 10: May 17th

Getting to get an in-depth look at the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls is something that I personally wanted for many years now, but the highlight of this special is of course the GOAT himself Michael Jordan. We’ve heard players like Scottie Pippen, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, and Dennis Rodman tell at least part of their stories over the years, but getting to hear from Jordan is must-see TV on steroids. The former UNC star hasn’t spoken much about his playing career in what feels like forever, and it will be exciting to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Bulls were able to give the city of Chicago their 6th NBA championship.

Just in case you haven’t seen it, here is the final trailer for the mini-series. Whether you are a Bulls fan or not, this is going to be an amazing documentary for Tar Heel fans to check out. Mark your calendars, because the GOAT is coming back to help make 2020 a little bit better for us all.