Each episode of ‘The Last Dance’ provides us with a plethora of incredible quotes to think about. Here are five of the best quotes from Episode 6.
5. MJ on his gambling
"“No, because I can stop gambling. I have a competition problem, a competitive problem.” -Michael Jordan"
This was Michael Jordan’s response to a question on whether or not he believed he had a gambling problem. This says a lot about Jordan. It wasn’t the gambling that fired him up. It was the competition. And we saw that when he was gambling relatively small amounts of money with United Center security guards and still being visibly upset when he lost.
Did Michael Jordan have a gambling problem? I don’t know. That’s not for me to decide. But did he have a competition problem? The man himself said he did.
4. Jordan targeting Dan Majerle
"“I knew that Jerry Krause loved Dan Majerle, and just because Krause liked him was enough for me. You think he’s a great defensive player. Okay, fine, but I’m gonna show you that he’s not.” -Michael Jordan"
It’s clear that all MJ needed was for someone to throw a little gas on the fire and it was game over. Poor Dan Majerle was just caught in the middle of a Michael Jordan-Jerry Krause feud, but because of that, Majerle had to get toasted in the ’93 Finals.
Majerle was tasked with guarding Jordan, and thanks to Krause’s love of the Suns’ wing, Jordan played with a little inspiration, averaging a cool 41 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in the Finals. Again — poor Dan Majerle.
3. Barkley recognizing Jordan’s dominance
"“That was probably the first time in my life that I felt like there was a better basketball player in the world than me, to be honest with you.” -Charles Barkley"
You always expect the greats to think they’re the greatest. That’s the mentality you have to possess to be elite. Giannis Antetokounmpo should think he’s the best player in the league. James Harden should think he’s the best player in the league. LeBron James is the actual best player in the league, but the NBA’s elite should all believe they own that title. So for Charles Barkley to admit what he did is simply incredible stuff.
Barkley clearly knew he was great. He was the MVP of the league in the 1992-93 season and provided the Suns with the best record in the NBA. But Jordan completely emasculated him in the Finals, making Chuck feel like he was at best the number two guy. That’s the effect Jordan had on other players.
2. A random kid clowning Barkley
"“Don’t take it personally, Charles!” -some kid"
This is one of my favorite quotes from The Last Dance thus far. I don’t know who this kid is, but the camera caught him yelling at Barkley after the Bulls took a 3-1 lead over the Suns in the ’93 Finals.
I don’t know what it is about this kid, but he looks like he possesses the confidence needed to go on the court and actually play in the game with those guys. You know, a Like Mike type of situation. I wonder what this kid’s up to now.
1. Jordan reflecting on his status as a role model
"“If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would never want to be considered a role model. It’s like a game that’s stacked against me. You know, there’s no way I can win.” -Michael Jordan"
This is a super heavy quote. One of the commonly discussed themes from night three of The Last Dance was that it wasn’t actually fun to be like Mike. It wasn’t an envious position to be in. And to hear him say he would never want to be considered a role model if he could do it all over again is staggering. That quote gives an incredibly deep look into Michael Jordan the person.
We know about his crazy competitiveness. We know what motivates him. But seeing what bothers MJ deep down is incredibly real and raw. It’s exactly what people wanted from this docuseries.