‘The Last Dance’: Recaps from the 10-part documentary on the Chicago Bulls

“The Last Dance” is an epic documentary from ESPN, Netflix, Mandalay Sports Media, Jordan’s Jump 23 and NBA Entertainment.

The 10-part documentary focuses on the last of six Bulls championship seasons for Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson and also takes into account Jordan’s 14-year run with the team, general manager Jerry Krause and Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.

Part of the anticipation was rooted in behind-the-scenes material a documentary crew captured at the time but kept under seal for 22 years. Jason Hehir is the director.

• ‘Aaaaaaaand now ...’ Everything you need to know about the Chicago Bulls' intro song, Ray Clay vs. Tommy Edwards and why Alan Parsons isn’t collecting many royalties
• What happened after ‘The Last Dance’? A look back at the 1999 Chicago Bulls without Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson.

Want to relive the Bulls’ glory days? Dig in.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 1

The curtain finally has opened on “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s long-awaited, 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 championship season that brought his era with the Chicago Bulls to a close.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 2

Superstars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen each had long-festering resentments with Bulls management, and that’s the chief focus of Episode 2 of “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s 10-part documentary on Jordan, his era with the Chicago Bulls and the season that would mark the end of their 1990s NBA dynasty.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 3

As Michael Jordan’s 1997-98 Chicago Bulls get off to a sluggish start minus Scottie Pippen, we learn “Bad Boy” Dennis Rodman’s origin story in Episode 3 of “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s 10-part documentary on Jordan’s era with the team.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 4

Carmen Electra hiding when Michael Jordan comes to retrieve Dennis Rodman and the Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA title under Phil Jackson highlight Episode 4 of “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s 10-part documentary on the Bulls' 1997-98 championship season and the era it ended.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 5

We get the Dream Team hazing Toni Kukoc, quick bits on the Chicago Bulls' 1992 NBA title, the launch of Nike’s Air Jordans — and how Republicans buy sneakers too — plus a symbolic passing of the torch to Kobe Bryant in Episode 5 of ESPN’s Michael Jordan documentary, “The Last Dance.”

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 6

Michael Jordan, with growing irritation, defends his gambling as the 1992-93 Chicago Bulls work to secure their first three-peat, a quest that culminates in downing Charles Barkley’s Phoenix Suns, in Episode 6 of ESPN’s “The Last Dance.”

Meanwhile, the 1997-98 Bulls are shown closing out the regular season, setting up a playoff run for their second string of three successive championships.

Even as Jordan racks up triumphs in both seasons, the second half of the 10-part series doesn’t get off to a real upbeat start with this hour.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 7

Michael Jordan quits basketball for minor-league baseball after his father’s 1993 murder. Scottie Pippen sits out the final 1.8 seconds of a 1994 playoff game in a fit of pique. And Jerry Krause wants everyone to know there’s no backstabbing as the Chicago Bulls open the 1998 postseason in Episode 7 of ESPN’s “The Last Dance.”

There’s a lot packed into this hour.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 8

Michael Jordan returns to the Chicago Bulls from baseball but initially isn’t himself, then makes “Space Jam” with Bugs Bunny. There’s the oft-told story of Jordan punching teammate Steve Kerr. And MJ leads the utterly dominant 1995-96 Bulls to the franchise’s fourth title in Episode 8 of ESPN’s “The Last Dance.”

All the while, Jordan thrives by playing mind games with himself.

Jordan excels at many things, but one area in which he is unmatched is giving himself reasons to push much harder than anyone else.

Getting bounced from the 1995 NBA playoffs by the Orlando Magic not long after returning to basketball, rather than potentially having to cross baseball’s picket line, is obvious fuel.

But “The Last Dance” repeatedly shows that he’ll take any slight — big or small, real or invented — to ignite his afterburners.

We see him pounce on a hapless rookie and a showboating former teammate.

Even Jordan realizes things have gotten out of hand when he belts Kerr during one overheated scrimmage, but Kerr wins MJ’s respect by not backing down despite the confrontation being a mismatch in perhaps every respect.

But then, almost everything is depicted as a mismatch when it comes to Jordan.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 9

Michael Jordan overcomes food poisoning — not the flu — en route to the Chicago Bulls' 1997 championship over the Jazz, then gets past Reggie Miller and the Pacers to set up a 1998 NBA Finals rematch in Episode 9 of ESPN’s “The Last Dance.”

Pulling at the heartstrings in the documentary series' second-to-last hour is Jordan’s attachment to Gus Lett, one of the former Chicago police officers in his security detail, and Steve Kerr reflecting on the 1984 murder of his father, Malcolm, who was president of the American University of Beirut in civil-war-torn Lebanon.

‘The Last Dance’ Episode 10

ESPN’s 10-part “The Last Dance” documentary concluded with Michael Jordan’s sixth championship, the Chicago Bulls opting to rebuild rather than pursue a seventh and coach Phil Jackson OK with walking away but Jordan disappointed.

Director Jason Hehir did a tremendous job putting together an enormously entertaining nonfiction saga, yet he owes a tremendous debt to Jackson.

Jackson not only dubbed the 1997-98 Bulls season “The Last Dance” 23 years ago, but also conducted the ritualistic burning of players' sentiments about the group at season’s end to facilitate the grieving process that gave the series' ending a special poignance.

Throw in a reprise from Episode 1 of Jordan’s quote right after arriving in Chicago in 1984 — “I just want the franchise, the Chicago Bulls, to be respected as a team, like the Lakers or the Philadelphia 76ers or the Boston Celtics” — and the conclusion of “The Last Dance” has undeniable beauty.

“We went from a (bleepy) team to one of the all-time best,” Jordan says. “All you needed was one little match to start that whole fire.”