The documentary The Last Dance, produced by ESPN and internationally broadcasted on Netflix, is once again highlighting the popularity of Michael Jordan as a public figure and sports icon.
His achievements with the Bulls in his thirteen years with the franchise, a period that ends with the campaign on which the documentary revolves (1997/1998), has made him transcend borders and be considered one of the greatest athletes in history.
His peaks of fame explain why the documentary is attracting so much interest seventeen years after he retired from the courts. And it was something that went beyond the court and made him a central element of 90s pop culture.
Brad Sellers was one of Jordan's teammates in his early years with the Bulls. In light of the release of the documentary, the former NBA player wanted to reminisce about those times with the '23', as reported by the Spanish newspaper AS.
In The Undefeated he tells an anecdote that clearly speaks to the level of popularity that Michael faced since he started to stand out in the League:
"I'm from a small town in Ohio, Michael (Jordan) was from a small town in North Carolina, and Scottie (Pippen) was from a small town in Arkansas. We were country-raised boys in a big city and we didn't know anything. We were in our twenties, so that made it so special."
"In the early chapters, you see MJ doing laundry. He was like that at the time, living like a normal guy. But everything got bigger and bigger thanks to basketball and there was a time when he couldn't do it anymore."
"I remember one day I asked him, 'Hey, how do you eat?' He told me he called a supermarket chain, Jewel-Osco, fifteen minutes before they closed and let them know he was coming. He had a deal with them. They stayed open longer for him to buy groceries. And at that time, he didn't earn thirty million a year, I think it was less than a million, but it was already a lot of money in those years and he took care of generously tipping those who allowed him to do so." (D)