"The Last Dance" was superb entertainment _ a 10-hour starburst of nostalgia that showcased the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls in general and iconic basketball player Michael Jordan in particular.
But the series focused its Jordan-centric lens only through June 1998, when Jordan was 35 years old and once again standing at basketball's mountaintop.
Jordan is 57 now. But the ESPN documentary only contained six words in its tiny postscript about MJ's last 22 years: "Michael Jordan went back into retirement."
There's been a lot more to Michael Jordan's large life than that. He un-retired one final time, playing two seasons for the Washington Wizards. He bought the Charlotte Hornets. He got divorced, got married again and had twin girls. He gave a Hall of Fame speech in 2009 that provided a glimpse behind the disrespect curtain that this documentary then pulled back for good.
But the great question left unanswered by "The Last Dance" is this: Why has Jordan _ still consumed with and motivated by all slights, real and imagined _ been so spectacularly unsuccessful as an owner?
The second act of Jordan's basketball life has been the polar opposite of the first. The man who willed his team to hundreds of wins as a player just can't do the same thing as an owner.
As a player, Jordan won 30 NBA playoff series in his 13 years playing for the Bulls. As Charlotte's primary basketball decision-maker, Jordan's teams have won zero playoff series in 14 years. He's had final say over the franchise's basketball operations since becoming a minority partner in June 2006.
Jordan has been Charlotte's majority owner since 2010 after he bought out Bob Johnson. Since Jordan has been heavily involved in the basketball decision-making, the Hornets have lost 58.4% of their games. Yes, an owner has far less direct effect on basketball games on a night-by-night basis then a star player does. But still, the Hornets are 464-651 since Jordan bought in. That's a large sample size, and not a good one.
"The Last Dance" was a 10-part documentary series on Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls. ESPN
The business part of things has worked out fine. Jordan's investment in the Hornets has appreciated considerably.
But on the court, Charlotte has floundered _ game after game, season after season. In Jordan's 14 seasons, Charlotte has had 11 losing years.
