James was reportedly banned from the production
LeBron James and Michael JordanLaPresseThe release of Michael Jordan‘s ‘Last Dance’ documentary made significant waves across the sports world.
While it was a resounding success, it also brought to light rifts in Jordan’s relationships, notably with Scottie Pippen and some former Chicago Bulls teammates.
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Despite its acclaim, one noticeable absence in the documentary caught the attention of fans: LeBron James, the current Los Angeles Lakers star.
Given James‘ status as a contender for the title of ‘greatest of all time,’ his exclusion seemed peculiar to many, with it a perfect chance for direct comparisons to be made, as well as the two individuals in question talking on the record about the other.
Why was James not involved?
Director Jason Hehir explained the deliberate decision to omit James, citing the potential for endless debates about basketball greatness.
“Once you open that door, then you have to have that discussion, and I was never interested in having that discussion,” Hehir explained to Bill Simmons.
He emphasized the predictability of James’ responses, suggesting they wouldn’t add any new insights to the documentary.
While Hehir‘s reasoning is understandable, the absence of James from ‘The Last Dance’ is lamentable.
However, there’s optimism that when James eventually has his own documentary, Jordan will be included in some capacity, bridging the gap between two basketball legends.
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When that happens, it is likely that we could see the pair talk about each other, perhaps even together in person, although with James still an active NBA player, it won’t be for a number of years.
Jordan‘s documentary was incredibly successful, although many point out that it was due to be released just as the world went into lockdown as a result of COVID-19, so many more people were able to watch it as it was released.