Everything, The Last Dance left out for the 10 part documentary

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By this point, Jordan’s love of gambling was well documented, most famously his association with Slim Bouler, where he gave Bouler $57,000 to pay off one golfing debt. He gave multiple interviews in which he calls it a hobby, and saying in The Last Dance, “I don’t have a gambling problem; I have a competitive problem.” But perhaps at least one person might have disagreed with Jordan’s assessment. The conspiracy theory believes that NBA commissioner David Stern was not a massive fan of Jordan being so closely associated with gambling. This theory assumes that Stern suspended Jordan under the table for 18 months to put some distance between him and his gambling problems. Jordan’s mention of Stern in his retirement press conference perhaps adds some credence to this conspiracy. He said, “Five years down the road, if the urge comes back, if the Bulls will have me, if David Stern lets me back in the league, I may come back.”

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The Bulls had a deal in place with the Seattle Supersonics that would have sent one of the most electrifying young stars in the game, Shawn Kemp, to Chicago, along with two-time 6th man of the year, Ricky Pierce, and swapping a draft pick in return for Pippen. The pairing of Pippen and Gary Payton would have likely catapulted Seattle into the upper-echelon of the NBA. The trade ultimately fell through when word of the deal trickled out, and the Sonics owner pulled out of the agreement when fans caused an uproar about Kemp potentially being traded.

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In the previous season, Dennis Rodman made his first excursion to Las Vegas as a Bull, only this time it was not just some trip during the regular season, but it was in-between games four and five of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. The request came after the Bulls dropped consecutive games, and Rodman underperformed in each. Coach Phil Jackson approved the request, and Rodman came back rejuvenated to help the Bulls win their second straight NBA championship, likely giving him a bit more leash for his trip the following season.

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However, there was one player who refused to put up with Jordan’s antics; Robert Parish. Parish was already a three-time champion and nine-time all-star when he got to Chicago for his final season in 1996. The 43-year-old Parish messed up a play in practice that led to Jordan’s typical irate reaction. The 7-foot-1-inch Parish was not going to back down, “I told him, ‘I’m not as enamored with you as these other guys. I’ve got some rings too,’" Parish recalled to ESPN. “At that point he told me, ‘I’m going to kick your arse.’ I took one step closer and said, ‘No, you really aren’t.’ After that, he didn’t bother me.”

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In the summer of 1998, Jordan was on vacation in the Bahamas when he severed a tendon in his right index finger with a cigar cutter. In his retirement press conference, he announced that the injury would require surgery, which would keep him out for two months. It's impossible to know how much the injury influenced his decision to retire instead of playing in the lockout-shortened NBA season. Even if he had played, it's tough to imagine the Bulls being as dominating as they were throughout their run without Jordan for the majority of the regular season.

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The Last Dance's most shocking omission is that it did not mention Michael Jordan would go on to play two more seasons in the NBA and ultimately own the Charlotte NBA franchise. Jordan’s years as a Washington Wizard were a far cry from his peak days in the Windy City, but he still averaged at least 20 points per game and made the all-star team in each of his two years playing. His days as an owner have been underwhelming, but it is still a significant accomplishment that probably deserved mention in the documentary.

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