Today is a bittersweet day for me. One of the best sports documentaries/movies I’ve ever watched, “The Last Dance” airs its final two episodes tonight. The mini series focused around Michael Jordan and his years with the Chicago Bulls has been nothing but amazing to watch for all the sports people in the world. For me, I have always loved Jordan’s game, but watching some of the behind the scenes interviews, stories and deeper understanding of his life allowed me to see another side that I never got to see because of my age. Each week as my dad and I watch together, I get a deeper meaning of his career and because of that, I can apply it to my life and the world today.
As I sit back and take in all of the episodes, one of the main things I took away from it was, Jordan dedicated everything he had to basketball. Because of this, it allowed him to branch out and be able to reach other things like endorsement deals, movies and commercials, his own clothing brand and even his own organization. This stood out to me because in today's society, we are told and taught to explore and never limit our options because it gives us more opportunities to succeed. I am not saying as a kid, you shouldn’t play multiple sports or in school keep your field options open for your career, but I am saying if we give and dedicate everything we have to God, he will allow us to branch out in his will.
If you were like me growing up, then Michael Jordan did nothing wrong in your eyes. That obviously was not true, but after watching this documentary I got to see how imperfect Jordan was. It took MJ seven years to win his first championship. His road towards it was not easy. He spent less time with his family, less time on the golf course and even forced his teammates to raise their level over the summer rather than taking vacations. One thing he didn't do was give up or accept being average. During those first seven years, he could have been complacent and accepted that he was just going to be a great individual player and score and dominate his position. However, he wanted to win so badly that he had to elevate his understanding of the game, rely on his teammates and coaches more to achieve his overall goal to win a championship.
Our lives as a Christian are solely dependent on Jesus. With that being said, none of us are perfect. God has already given us victory and our championship, but it is up to us if we receive it here on earth or have to wait until we get to heaven for it. Just as Jordan had to dedicate his summers to basketball and rely on his peers and coaches, God calls us to do the same for His kingdom. Dedicate your time to his word, help other people along the way and let his victory live through your life. Also, the good thing about it is, if you haven’t been doing that, you can start right here, right now and make the change. God doesn’t hold it against us for taking a while to do it, but loves when we convert and give it all to him.
One part of the documentary that intrigued me was how Jordan was highly criticized when he did not take a stand in the political world. He was shunned for it because ultimately it came down to race. A black democratic governor versus a white republican governor. Jordan was expected to take sides of the black governor because of his race but Jordan did not endorse either side. I think his quote the media put out was, “Republicans buy Jordans too.” Today, there are social and racial issues that continue to get worse. I understand the stance of what Jordan was expected to do and I understand the stance Jordan actually took. However outside of Jordan’s actual situation that was portrayed, my main takeaway was that sometimes we get so worldly that we do not consider God’s take on a matter. It is okay to support any race or any political party or person as long as their word matches what God says on an issue.
In 1993 Michael Jordan retired for the first time and went to play baseball. This was right after his father passed away and was always a dream of his. Jordan to me is without a doubt the best sports interviewer of all time. Always professional in the media and knows how to answer questions in a respectful, knowledgeable way. One thing that I found interesting was that the media related Jordan’s father's death to MJ’s personal life. Majority was gambling and trying to link the two. In our life, there will be unfair situations, things we can’t control and things we wished never happened, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. If you've made a mistake, that is okay. God accepts mistakes if we come to him about it. That is called repenting and the goal is to learn, give it to God and be better in a future situation if tested. I learned from Jesus and Jordan to always be respectful, shed light on your situation and lean close to the people who care for you in your life. God has restored us using Jesus Christ, so ultimately everything is in His hands. No we can’t control everything that happens here on earth, but we do know who is in control so that is why we are never to panic or get out of sorts.
I could talk forever about this topic and documentary, but I just wanted to touch on a few details as we go into the last week of episodes on MJ’s great basketball career. Remember, God is in control of all, Jesus is the key to our salvation, and we should dedicate everything to serving his will and allowing him to live through us.
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