Was Michael Jordan the Greatest, or Just What the NBA Needed?

If you were alive in the 90s and are old enough to remember them, you’re probably watching The Last Dance on ESPN. The 10-part docu-series goes back 20+ years and explores the historic run of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Whether you love or hate Michael Jordan, the documentary that followed Jordan and his teammates gives an inside look at one of the most exciting basketball players to ever play the game.

Sure, there’s always the argument just who the greatest of all time is and this inside look may fuel or extinguish some of that argument.

Of course, Michael Jordan is one of the all-time greats to grace the game of basketball, but he’s not the only great to play the game. There are players who have played the game who were just as dominant winning as many championships. There are players like Kobe Bryant who was just as passionate and electric to watch. There are guys today who are just as enigmatic as the legend.

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So why is Jordan considered the peak of NBA history?

Simple, Michael Jordan was the first face of the NBA that was a presence on and off the court. He wasn’t playing at a level in which fans hadn’t seen before. He didn’t play at level fans wouldn’t see again. The Bulls were playing at a level that other teams weren’t and Jordan was the center of attention.

Then came the endorsements. The NBA wasn’t enough for Jordan to dominate. Nike was the up-and-coming shoe and tying themselves to the hottest playing in the league. McDonald’s put themselves back on the map. Even Gatorade wasn’t the powerhouse endorsement that it is today before hitching the wagon to Jordan’s train.

So the real question is, which came first the chicken or the egg? Was Michael Jordan’s mystique the catalyst that put these powerhouse corporations at the forefront? Of course, those types of endorsements are common practice today and you think nothing of it.

Or was the up-and-coming companies throwing big-time money at a young and energetic player what put Jordan on this pedestal that made him stand out above the rest? Was Michael Jordan the same benefactor of media coverage that made the Beetles so famous? Considered one of the greatest bands every, the Beetles were at the forefront of the television revolution. Michael Jordan was at the forefront of the media endorsement revolution and soaked it all in.

So watching The Last Dance, does Michael Jordan still stand out in today’s NBA where every star has that same face time with the media? Does he fade in as just another all-star player making big plays? The best part about his legacy is we’ll never know. So for now, he’ll always be considered one of the greatest.