Charting the rise of the 1990's Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, one of the most notable dynasties in sports history, with particular focus on his last season with the team. The series features exclusive footage from a film crew that had an all-access pass to the Bulls, as well as interviews of many NBA personalities including Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, and Phil Jackson. The first episode flashbacks Michael Jordan's college and early NBA days. In the The 1997-98 season, the Bulls make a preseason trip to Paris amid tensions with general manager Jerry Krause.
A tribute to the life and career of one of the best basketball players of all-time. The film chronicles Jordan's triumphs through interviews with former players, coaches and Jordan himself. Follow Michael Jordan's last basketball season as he leads the Chicago Bulls to their sixth NBA championship. Michael Jordan to the Max provides a rare glimpse of Michael Jordan on and off the court. Featuring electrifying on court action and candid interviews with Phil Jackson, Steve Kerr, Doug Collins and Bob Costas. Get ready to experience some of the greatest moments in modern sports history from one of the most dominant sport legends of all time.
Many consider it the greatest team ever assembled, in any sport. Yet even that description fails to give it proper credit for its impact. The original the Dream Team, the first U.S. Olympic team to include NBA stars was a phenomenon on and off the court. It mattered not that it dominated the Olympic competition. It won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, beating its eight opponents by an average of 44 points. What was important was that the Dream Team, gave fans a glimpse of basketball at its finest, and an entire world responded. The film is the definitive documentary of the historic 1992 USA Basketball team, featuring recent interviews with all 12 members, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley. Includes rare footage from USA Basketball's film library, and the untold story behind what has become part of basketball legend. Since 1992, basketball has exploded in popularity around the globe, rising to a place where it truly challenges soccer's status as the world's most popular sport. Much of that is due to the impact of the Dream Team, which attracted fans and followers wherever it went. "It was," said Coach Chuck Daly, "like Elvis and the Beatles put together. Traveling with the Dream Team was like traveling with 12 rock stars. That's all I can compare it to." And what a band it was. Start with three of the game's all-time greats: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Add the irrepressible Charles Barkley for a little spice, as well as seven more NBA All-Stars: centers David Robinson and Patrick Ewing, power forward Karl Malone, swingmen Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin and Clyde Drexler and point guard John Stockton. Complete the roster with Christian Laettner, the best college player of 1991-92 and a future NBA All-Star. Opponents didn't have a chance, but they didn't care.
Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they both went to America where they became the first two foreign players to attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. "Once Brothers" will tell the gripping tale of these two men, how circumstances beyond their control tore apart their friendship, and whether Divac has ever come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to reconcile.
Phil Jackson brings a new philosophy to the Bulls after replacing Doug Collins and takes the Bulls to the next level. He manages to not only connect on a deep level with his players, but also install the Triangle Offense, a key turning point in Chicago's dynasty. The Bulls finally eliminate the Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference finals and earns a shot at an NBA title. But controversy ensues when Detroit players walk off the floor before the end of regulation without engaging in the customary postgame handshakes.
We will see in this episode how Scottie Pippen rises from obscurity to become one of the NBA's best players. Also how an injury early in Michael Jordan's career sows distrust with Chicago Bulls management. Scottie Pippen took an unusual path to the NBA, growing into a star at Central Arkansas. Pippen earns the trust of Jordan and finds the perfect role as an elite wing defender and playmaker, but his frustration with management over his contract leads to a trade demand in 1997.
The first episode flashbacks Michael Jordan's college and early NBA days. In the The 1997-98 season, the Bulls make a preseason trip to Paris amid tensions with general manager Jerry Krause.