SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Though the Utah Jazz lost the last of their two Finals matchups with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls more than two decades ago, Jazz fans may find it difficult to tune into ESPN’s documentary The Last Dance detailing the Bulls 1998 championship. The final championship of the Jordan era Bulls also signaled the end of John Stockton and Karl Malone’s window as contenders in the Western Conference. Regardless of past pain, Jazz fans should face their fears and make time to watch The Last Dance 10 part series.

The series premiered last Sunday night with two hour-long episodes setting the stage for the weekly mini-series. Episode one focused on Jordan’s childhood, college years, and early seasons in the NBA, while episode two revolved around Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen’s troubled relationship with the Bulls front office, specifically general manager Jerry Krause.

Surprisingly, the Jazz were noticeably absent from episodes one and two, with only former Jazz All-Star Mark Eaton appearing for a brief soundbite regarding the young Jordan as he entered the league. Even if Jazz fans choose to turn away from the series as it dives deeper into the Bulls playoff run, the first two episodes of the series offer tremendous insight into one of the greatest teams in basketball history.

The theme for the 1997-98 @chicagobulls season set by Phil Jackson… The Last Dance.#TheLastDance premieres Sunday (4/19) at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/JBWTRf7BaK

— NBA (@NBA) April 14, 2020

Particularly revealing was the behind the scenes look at interworking of egos within a basketball team that is likely universal between all competitive rosters. From Jordan’s incredible will to win to Pippen’s contractual disputes, to coach Phil Jackson’s management of his roster, sports fans of any team will likely have their eyes opened to the complexities involved with building a winning franchise.

Jazz fans may even find similarities between the Bulls star players’ relationship and the troubled relationship between Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

While Jordan received the lions share of attention, Pippen was a critical piece of the puzzle for the Bulls. Likewise, Mitchell is often credited as the face of the Jazz franchise, though Gobert regularly leads the team to victory doing the less noticeable things on the basketball floor.

It’s no coincidence that Michell wears number 45, an ode to Jordan after he turned to the hardwood after a minor detour in minor league baseball, while Gobert expressed his support for Pippen’s contributions during the documentary.

(Author’s note: Some episodes of The Last Dance contain language that may be offensive to viewers, two versions of the episodes have been released, both edited for content and unedited.)

In the latest episode of the Jazz Notes podcast, Bed Anderson of KSL Sports and Sarah Todd of the Deseret News touched on the documentary and the apparent difficulties in building a team capable of winning a championship.

Jazz Notes

Also in the latest podcast episode, Todd and Anderson discuss the likelihood of the NBA returning this season and what that may look like.

Both beat writers believe that the season has strong hopes of returning, though what the end of the regular season may look like remains a mystery. If the NBA is to host an abbreviated close to the regular season, how many games would be required to satisfy the league’s 30 franchise should they all decide to come back this season?

Understanding the NBA will already be operating on an altered schedule that will likely eat into the length of the 2020-21 season, every regular-season game played this summer likely means the loss of potentially more meaningful and profitable games next year.

Can Las Vegas rescue the @UtahJazz season?

How Sin City may hold the key to reopening the league this summer in the latest episode of the Jazz Notes Podcast. https://t.co/vXfwyTAEaF

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 3, 2020

Todd and Anderson also discussed Mike Conley’s recent NBA HORSE Challenge championship, including his meeting with the media last week. Conley said he was optimistic the NBA would return looking at the league has begun discussing potential plans to return, including a 25-day return to play timeline.

Both writers learned that Conley was an avid HORSE player, taking part in the shooting game after each practice. After an up and down season from the veteran point guard, Conley seemed to display a new level of confidence that Jazz fans haven’t seen this year.

Conley also spoke on the feud between Gobert and Mitchell, noting all locker rooms have imperfect relationships. However, because of the two players’ professionalism, Conley believes the Jazz championships remain intact.

Stay tuned for every episode of the Jazz notes podcast. Subscribe and rate the podcast here.