8 Sports Documentaries Like 'The Last Dance' to Help Fill the Void
8 Sports Documentaries Like 'The Last Dance' to Help Fill the Void
So, you finished The Last Dance. Nearly 10 hours worth of watching grown-ass men either laughing hysterically at each other, or breaking down into tears when you’d least expect. Not to mention a healthy dose of never-before-seem '90s Chicago Bulls action. It was altogether intoxicating.
The Last Dance was somewhat of a Christmas miracle, ESPN rushing the thing out to give us something to root for. But somewhere along the way, like Jordan retiring for the first time and finding himself somewhere between two sports, you might’ve lost yourself. On the healthier end, you started every day pacing around your home to “Sirius.” (Guilty.) At worse, you started betting large sums of money on the Korean Baseball League and now have to mortgage that home.
Either way, you could use a detox. And we have you covered. For the occasion, we put together an eight-film-long marathon (pace yourself as needed) to get that GOAT mentality out of your system. The journey back starts with an acid trip, and ends on a bus to Birmingham.
1) No No: A Dockumentary (2014)
You, my friend, need a palate cleanser. Something funny, light, and a little crazy. How about an acid trip? On June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Doc Ellis pregamed a start with LSD. Then, he threw a no-hitter. No No: A Dockumentary will have you cracking up through every inning.
2) Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team (2005)
Next up in your journey: Some good, old-fashioned inspiration—and not the kind that makes you want to destroy security guards in obscure coin-tossing games. Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team is the definitive look at the 1999 World Cup winners. If you don’t get chills when the squad’s bus pulls up to the Meadowlands, then maybe it' s time to check the pulse of the sports fan in you.
Minding the Gap
Thankfully, history will remember the Academy well for giving Minding the Gap an Oscar nomination back in 2018. In filming his best friends over a period of 12 years, Bing Liu comprised a heartbreaking coming-of-age story that punches hard—and will stick with you for years after you've seen the film. (Even if you remember it only for its stellar skateboarding photography.) Or, at least until Liu, who is primed to become a legitimate filmmaking star, premieres his next effort.
4) André the Giant (2018)
If you liked the direction The Last Dance—which often focused on the mythmaking of Michael Jordan over his box scores—you’ll probably enjoy André the Giant. It’s the last film Jason Hehir directed before he took on The Last Dance. André the Giant chronicles the life of the 7’4 wrestling legend, who was often living a painful life when he wasn’t in the ring.
When We Were Kings
Some sports buffs might argue this, but When We Were Kings is to Muhammad Ali as The Last Dance is to Michael Jordan. That is: If you need a reminder of the boxing legend's greatness (both as an activist and an athlete), look no further than the day-by-day account of his trip to Kinshasa, Zaire for the "Rumble in the Jungle" with George Foreman.
13) Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
“Holy shit, Jack Johnson is a badass!” That was my reaction after watching Unforgivable Blackness earlier this summer. The first Black heavyweight boxing champion, Johnson is given due consideration by Burns and the series’ stable of lively talking heads in this two-part biography. It’s a thoughtful and pensive look at a person who lived out loud despite a racist nation’s desperate attempts to silence him.
7) More Than A Game (2008)
Alright, you know it’s coming in 2042: Whatever The Last Dance equivalent for LeBron James is going to be. (Pretty easy to imagine a gray-bearded Bron dishing the goss on the J.R. Smith flub over a glass of Vino, no?) Get a head start with More Than a Game, which follows the conquests of teenage LeBron’s high school basketball squad.
8) Jordan Rides the Bus (2010)
Had enough of a vacation away from MJ? Good. Now, it’s time to finish your GOAT PhD. Start with filling in the blanks on one of the most compelling parts of The Last Dance, which the series likely didn’t have enough time to fully dive into. Jordan Rides the Bus is a standout 30 for 30, giving a deeper look at Jordan’s brief shot at baseball greatness in the Chicago White Sox organization.
ESPN's 10-part phenomenon has come to an end. Here's what to watch next.