Revisiting NBA Legend Michael Jordan's Garage Through Netflix’ ‘The Last Dance’

Irrespective of whether you've played the sport of basketball or not, the most popular name which resonates with the game and the NBA globally is Michael Jordan. In a span of 8 seasons, including an 18-month retirement, MJ won six NBA championships in a record repeat three-peat (1991-1993, 1996-1998) as part of the Bulls. Needless to say, it was a career filled with greatness and consequentially, drama. In a 10-part documentary by ESPN, ‘The Last Dance’ is all about the 1997-98 MJ-led Bulls team, their sixth and final championship, and everything that led up to that point.  

With the first two episodes airing on 19th April, followed by two episodes each week, we've arrived at the final week of waiting for the end. Throughout the show viewers have gotten to see unseen game footage and behind the scenes clips, giving a fair idea of MJ's abilities to the younger generation who missed out on witnessing the greatest of greats. What most people may have not paid attention to, though, was the performance packed vehicles driven by the Bulls guard. MJ can be seen driving around in numerous sports and luxury cars throughout the show. 

Episodes 1 and 2 set the tone for the rest of the show, going back and forth between different events in Jordan's career and how everything affected the outcome. In the first nine minutes, Jordan is seen driving the Chevrolet Corvette C5 coupe into the Berto Center, the Bulls' old practice facility.

In his rookie year in 1984, Jordan had signed an endorsement deal with Chevrolet, which at the time showcased the C4 as the top car. MJ was spotted many times around town in the C4, swarmed by fans who wanted an autograph or even just a glimpse. Michael's cars were easily recognised by the Bulls red paint job or the different license plates such as "Air 23" and "Jumpman".

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The next two episodes feature teammate Dennis Rodman's antics on and off the court and how the Bulls overcame the Isiah Thomas-led "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons to earn a shot at their first title. Three minutes into the fourth, we see Mr. Two-Three in a red V12 front-engined Ferrari 550 Maranello. Legend goes that the AJ 14 featured inspirations from the car by designer Tinker Hatfield. The Air Jordan 14 featured air intakes, a Jordan Jumpman Ferrari-like logo, metal lace tips, and tyre-like rubber soles. 

Another car which inspired a shoe in the Jordan signature line was the Porsche 911 which provided the idea of a heel tab on the AJ VI. The Porsche which featured in the fourth episode however was the white 930 Turbo Cabriolet which signifies the return of the Bulls team after finally beating the Bad Boys. Notice how the plate says MJ JJ? Jordan's father was James Jordan.

Jordan's rise to fame as a global cultural icon and the culmination of the Bulls' first three-peat are showcased in episodes 5 and 6. We see a cigar-smoking Michael being interviewed in his car by Ahmad Rashad, the NFL player turned sportscaster, who was one of the few people to have access to the inside of a car with Mike. We see the interview take place in a red and black Range Rover HSE which featured a 4.6-litre V8. A lot of 23 can be seen in the background as the car exits the gates of MJ's house which features a 2-3. The car itself sports a "Two Trey" license plate.

The seventh episode showcases MJ going through the trauma of the passing of his father, leading to his first retirement from the NBA. At the 14 minute mark of the episode where Jordan had just thrown out the first pitch at Game 1 of the 1993 American Championship Series, news leaked that Michael was planning to retire. His Airness was able to escape the onslaught of news reporters in a W140 Mercedes-Benz S600 V12 with custom bits by Lorinser.

While Jordan's first retirement was short-lived, his absence impacted the Bulls team who barely made it to the playoffs that year. On his return, MJ wasted no time with getting the job done, initially sporting the number 45 but quickly returning to the famous 23. What inspired his return to the game was a visit to the practice facility during his retirement. 20 seconds past the twelve minute mark in the eighth episode shows Mike following BJ Armstrong, the Bulls point-guard, in a long wheelbase Range Rover County.  

The main highlight of the show, however, was the appearance of the 1993 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 40th Anniversary Edition, one in 225, past the 14:30 mark. What better time to pull out the ruby red car with an all-red interior than when you announce you're back by literally saying "I'm Back". The limited edition Chevy is one of the most coveted Corvette collectibles ever.

With two episodes to go, what more from the Goat's prized garage could feature on the show? The Last Dance will air its final episodes on 18th May, and is available on Netflix for Indian viewers.  

Special Mention

Aside from basketball, MJ was known to actively participate in gambling and golf. While the former was mostly done on the team jets and in casinos, golf saw Mike spend a lot of time on the course and consequently in a golf cart. It is well known that post his final retirement, the third one to be precise, Jordan spends a lot of time hitting the greens, which leads one to assume that currently his most prized and frequently-driven possession is the golf cart. It features the Jumpman logo up front and a Carolina-blue colour scheme.

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