To say that The Final Dance captured the hearts and minds of viewers upon its debut could be an understatement. For weeks, viewers – each sports activities followers and informal viewers alike – watched the exploits of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the remainder of the ‘90s-era Chicago Bulls. It’s anybody’s guess whether or not the docuseries modified the best way the general public considered the crew. What I do know for positive, nonetheless, is that producer Jake Rogal informed CinemaBlend he’s nonetheless using excessive off the expertise and that it modified his life in just a few chuckleworthy methods.
Whereas Jake Rogal was selling his newest doc, Courtroom of Gold (a latest launch on Netflix’s 2025 schedule), I had the chance to talk with him. As a fan, I couldn’t assist however ask about his recollections of The Final Dance’s launch in 2020. Rogal admitted that it nonetheless considerably seems like a “dream,” however he positively nonetheless relishes not solely the whirlwind of the discharge however the making of the manufacturing as nicely:
It feels sort of like a dream, to be sincere with you, due to it ending throughout the pandemic, pushing the schedule u [and] the response to all of it. The truth that we had been in a position to get as near Michael as we did, all the things simply — it feels prefer it did not actually occur. It is so surreal and, while you actually give it some thought, it is so out of physique that after I suppose again on it, I’ve a tough time remembering a whole lot of it, as a result of it was simply so overseas to me. So I take into consideration that.
The ten-part basketball doc was going to be launched throughout the summer season of 2020 following the NBA season that 12 months. Nonetheless, Disney and ESPN moved up the discharge date as a means of offering leisure for the plenty amid the quarantine introduced on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Director Jason Hehir’s docuseries was met with excessive scores and demanding acclaim, which was parlayed right into a follow-up particular. I’m only a fan, however that turbulent time period even seems like a blur to me too. So I perceive the place the producer is coming from.
With regards to how Jake Rogal’s life has modified since, the seemingly assumption could be that his profile as a documentarian has risen and that he can now say he’s contributed to an Emmy-winning doc. It might appear that there are just a few unwanted side effects of the undertaking that’s confirmed to be extra private for Rogal. As he humorously defined, considered one of them has to do with one thing that’s grow to be synonymous with NBA GOAT Michael Jordan:
I discover extra Bulls issues round, extra Jordans round. Each time I stroll down the road, I am folks’s footwear, and I see how many individuals have Jordans [and that] is one thing I used to be by no means conscious of earlier than The Final Dance. So I believe simply the prevalence of Michael and the Bulls continues to be in popular culture, and it is wonderful that the sustainability of him and that crew is one thing that also resonates with me.
There may be certainly nonetheless a whole lot of curiosity within the Bulls of yesteryear, particularly Michael Jordan, who stays a popular culture icon immediately. I’d argue that the doc helped reignite curiosity in not simply the Chicago groups of the ‘90s however the NBA of that period as an entire. You possibly can chalk that as much as wonderful archive footage and wonderful anecdotes from Charles Barkley, John Stockton and extra. The doc additionally completely celebrates and encapsulates the tradition of the last decade. I imply, it even options the seemingly ageless Carmen Electra in spite of everything.
If I had been in Jake Rogal’s footwear (which can or might not be Air Jordans), I’d in all probability be folks’s kicks as nicely after making that doc. His feedback communicate to the lasting impression that the undertaking has on him, and I hope he continues to relish his reminiscences of The Final Dance. Take a look at the doc for your self now utilizing a Netflix subscription and, when you’re at it, stream Courtroom of Gold in addition to different sports activities documentaries value testing.