The Last Dance gave sports fans an in-depth look at the ‘90s-era Chicago Bulls and their final championship during the 1997-1998 NBA season. The docuseries also highlighted some of the on-court battles between Michael Jordan and some of basketball’s greatest players like Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson. Another famous player to be featured in the documentary (via archive footage) is former Portland Trailblazers star Clyde Drexler. The Hall of Famer has been relatively quiet since the series aired, but he’s now provided some thoughts on it.
While promoting the upcoming Rip City Revival documentary, Clyde Drexler was asked what he thought about The Last Dance and confirmed that he has yet to see it. The former player would go on to say, however, that he has nothing but respect for Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and the other players he competed against:
Everyone has a healthy respect for each other at this stage of their life. You have to take it in perspective. We were truly competitive. I haven’t seen (the documentary). So I don’t know how to respond to your question. But I have a lot of respect for Michael and Magic. I wish them nothing but well.
During his recent chat with USA Today, Clyde Drexler would later double down on the fact that he hasn’t seen the show, yet he plans to do so at some point in the future:
I didn't watch it. I lived it. Hopefully down the road, I’ll get some opportunities to do that.
Clyde Drexler is featured heavily in the fifth episode of The Last Dance, which partially focuses on his showdown with Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the 1992 NBA Finals. In the doc, Jordan recalled his disdain for the comparisons between Drexler and himself and sought to solidify his dominance through his play. He would ultimately do so, as the Bulls went on to win the series in six games. Directly following that season, both Jordan and Drexler would also become teammates on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, aka the Dream Team, and would help the team win the gold.
Drexler seems to have a relatively mellow attitude when it comes to the documentary and his past rivalries. While this could change after he actually watches it, his chill demeanor would indicate that he’s satisfied with how his career and battles with Jordan turned out.
Although The Last Dance has garnered acclaim from viewers and critics, the series has received some negative responses from those involved. Former Bulls player Horace Grant was particularly displeased with how he was portrayed and the same is reportedly true of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.
More former players are bound to get around to watching The Last Dance in the near future, and we’ll keep you posted as they chime in. And if you still haven’t seen it for yourself, you can stream it on ESPN.com or wait for it to drop on Netflix next month.
