THE GOAT IS BACK - A Michael Jordan Film | Documentary

Welcome to Flashback, the program that recounts the mythical moments in the history of sport. Since the dawn of time, every kingdom has had to deal with its own murmurs, court intrigues and power plays. To remedy this, only the rightful ruler has the ability to put the church back at the center of the village, and in the kingdom of basketball, there is only one king. His Majesty, Michael Jeffrey Jordan. When the latter, exhausted, relinquished his duties as monarch in 1993, all the lords of the league dreamed of only one thing, to take his place. But in 1995, a simple missive was enough to provoke a veritable earthquake. A fax and three words. Today, we tell you how Michael Jordan shocked the world by announcing his thunderous comeback after a year and a half away from the game. So pull out your best curtsy, because we're taking our trusty time machine to Phoenix's America West Arena on this June 20th, 1993. Are you ready? Let's go. Michael reaffirms his decision. Nice to meet you. It's been a terrible year. This is like a dream come true. He said it's the first time that he has ever been as he was coming to play in this game here tonight. What time is it? Two-time defending champion Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls have the chance to pull off an unprecedented feat. For the first time since Bill Russell's Invincible Celtics won eight consecutive titles, a franchise is on the verge of completing a three-peat. It sounds like the ultimate challenge for a player who already has nothing left to prove. Since his arrival in the league in 1984, Michael Jordan has sat alone at the top of the food chain. DPOY, MVP, Olympic champion and now NBA champion. Number 23 has already ticked all the boxes of basketball greatness. The three-peat is the last prey missing from his hunting list. Faced with newly appointed MVP Charles Barkley and his sounds, Jordan is on a mission. 41 points on average, including a peak of 55 in the fourth game at home. A more beautiful finale. The best player in the world carries Chicago on his back. Particularly in the final quarter, when Windy City seemed to be in total perdition. Nine small points scored, all by Aizurnas. Paxson's huge shot followed by Horace Grant's legendary counterattack annihilated the last hopes of the Arizonans. Sending Jordan and his Bulls to posterity. Just one year after evangelizing not America, but the whole world at the Barcelona Olympic Games, Black Jesus secured his place in the pantheon of sports history. I think everyone knows exactly what the circumstances are right now in terms of my decision not to play the game of basketball. When I lose the sense of motivation and the sense of to prove something as a basketball player, it's time for me to move away from the game of basketball. I just feel that at this particular time in my career, I've reached the pinnacle of my career. At 30, Michael has the physical resources to allow himself to dream even bigger. He just doesn't feel like it anymore. MJ quit on October 6th, right before the season began. The Bulls' legendary number 23 retired. In the space of two years, the NBA successively lost the three faces that had carried the league for the last 15 years. Magic in 1991, Larry Bird in 1992, and Michael Jordan in 1993. A cataclysm for David Stern and for the entire NBA, which was then experiencing an unprecedented boom. The performances of other superstars such as Akeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and the young Shaquille O'Neal were a source of hope. But the commissioner is not mistaken. He has just lost his most precious jewel. Michael Jordan, exhausted by the relentless pressure and bruised by the loss of his father, decided to turn his back on glory. He stepped away from the game to embrace a childhood passion shared with his father. Baseball. He swapped the number 23 of the Bulls for the number 45 of the Birmingham Barons. A minor league team affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan finds in baseball an escape. A means of mourning. The brutal death of James Jordan, murdered on a highway rest stop, left him deeply wounded. James was not only his father, he was… His first mentor. His best friend. His source of inspiration. Michael never failed to imitate or pay homage to him. Whether it's sticking out his tongue like he did, or wearing the gold chain James gave him at the 1985 dunk contest. Michael loved his father deeply. He wanted to make him proud. Every moment of glory on the floor was only worth celebrating in his company. Without him, Jordan no longer wanted to fight. He no longer has a reason to remain the best and dominate his discipline. He sees retirement as a necessary break. A calm getaway from basketball madness. And the painful memories the sport brings back. I think what this guy's doing is fulfilling a lifelong dream. He's the greatest basketball player in the history of the game. I don't think we'll live long enough to see a better player. This is what he's always wanted to do. He's wanted to play baseball. His choice provokes incomprehension. All over the world. Many don't understand that baseball isn't just a sport for Jordan. It's a sanctuary. Where he can mourn his father out of sight. Every game played is a tribute to James. Every swing of the bat, a prayer. JoJo reconnects with the taste for effort. And the passion instilled by his father. The long hours of practice. The advice whispered in his ear. Bring him back to his roots. To a time when everything was simpler. The first few weeks were a shock. The king of basketball, accustomed to applause and bows, has to face the roar of the sparse stands and the jeers of the critics. Opposing pitchers have no regard for his reputation. The stats speak for themselves. A batting average below 200. Errors and doubts piling up. Jordan is a novice. Somehow being projected to overshadow everybody else. I didn't want that. I wanted to kind of fit in the lowest that I could go. And get the guys to know me as a person. And as a hard-working player who's trying to understand the game, but yet trying to grasp some of the fundamentals so that I can improve as a player. But his approach remains that of a champion. He arrives early, trains late, and listens to the advice of his more experienced teammates. The players around him see Michael as an example of determination. He never complains, never gets discouraged and works hard. And little by little, he's making progress. His lifestyle is changing too. Minor league baseball is far from the glamour of the NBA. The long bus rides are exhausting. The hotels are modest and the crowds much smaller. Michael Jordan, global star, once again becomes just another player. Off the field, Jordan seeks to return to a normal life. Away from the media hustle and bustle. He spends time with his family, enjoying moments of tranquility and reflection. He explores aspects of himself he never had time to discover. Away from the hustle and bustle of the NBA, he finds a form of serenity. Well, we spoke on the phone. He decided that, I don't want to replace the player. I think it's time for me to go back to basketball. Despite all this, he was unable to make a permanent break with the orange ball. So now all of a sudden it was a possibility. Basketball remains anchored in his soul. He visits his old teammates, follows the Bulls' performances, and keeps a foot in the world he left behind. Baseball is an escape. But it can't entirely fill the void left by basketball. Why are you hanging around so many arenas, going to games, now practice? It's actually just a coincidence. You know, I was in New York. Patrick asked me to come to the game. I was in Atlanta. In the summer of 1994, the first signs of a comeback began to appear discreetly. The desire to play, to feel the leather in his hands again. Reborn. Visits become more frequent. The exchange is more intense. At first, he simply gives advice, to share his experience. But before long, the call of the game becomes irresistible. During one of his visits, he puts on a training jersey, joins his former teammates on the floor, and starts playing again. Movement's less fluid. Reflex is a little rusty, but the magic is still there. The Bulls, privileged witnesses, see their former leader rise from the ashes. Discussions in the dressing room become animated. Rumors spread like wildfire. Phil Jackson, on the verge of retirement after his playmaker's retirement, sees his secret training sessions as a harbinger of a glorious future. To be a really good team, you had to bring out all those gifts and help your teammates be better players. I think he was capable of doing that much better in his second career than being a basketball player. I think he was much more generous with his time. I think he was much more encouraging as a teammate. Meanwhile, the Bulls' 1993-1994 season unfolds in an atmosphere of uncertainty and renewal. The absence of the fallen king weighs heavily, but the kingdom refuses to sink. Scottie Pippen, Prince Consort, established himself as the team leader and led Chicago to a 55-win season. Unexpected. Although impressive without Jordan, the Bulls came up short, losing in seven sets to the Knicks in the conference semifinals. So if I desire to come back and play again, maybe that's what I want to do. Maybe that's the challenge that I may need someday down the road. The first thing I heard about it was yesterday afternoon, I guess. I heard it this morning. The station called me and said there's a possibility something's going on with Jordan. I heard about something on Monday. Who could get there the earliest and camp out all day long? The following season, Jordan again took part in a Bulls training session in January 1995. He was pushing us all to be better. Because he wanted to win. And guess what? It worked. His airness flew through the session, shooting baskets as in his heyday. The outlook of the other players changed. It's no longer just the recently retired Michael Jordan. It's His Majesty himself. Journalists begin to speculate. Fans hope and wait. Rumors become certainties for those who have seen MJ in action. But there's no way he's leaving baseball without fulfilling his father's dream. To play in MLB. I always wanted to play baseball. And I kicked myself for not playing in college when I had the opportunity to play in college. I was just hoping I'd get that opportunity again. And I have. At least until fate intervened. In February 1995, the possibility of a return to basketball intensified. Major League Baseball's lockout, which had lasted since August, paralyzed the season. I hoped that tonight I would be coming out to tell you that baseball was coming back in 1995. And for a good while this evening, I thought that that might well be the case. Unfortunately, the parties have not reached agreement. The American people are the real losers. Negotiations between players and owners fail, leaving a shadow over the future of the league. Jordan, far from the hustle and bustle of the media, sees his dream suspended. This interruption forces his airness to reconsider its future. His loyalty to the players defending their rights is intact. But the uncertainty is too great. Baseball, while a welcome escape, can no longer offer him what he's looking for. At the same time, the rest of American sport is in crisis. Field hockey was also experiencing a lockout, while football lives its darkest hours. Los Angeles police are about to hold a news conference. In the midst of the O.G. Simpson affair, in the midst of the NBA finals, Michael Jordan's return was no longer a possibility. But a necessity. Not a huge surprise, but clearly one of the great comebacks since Burt Reynolds' hairline. It came in a two-word statement, which is now just begging to have a Nike campaign built around it. Quote-unquote, I'm back. That's all Jordan said on Saturday. That was really all Jordan needed to say. On March 18, 1995, the most famous facts in history fell. I'm back. A statement without fury. Couldn't be more representative of the human. I'm back. That's all. You don't need to know when or why. Dad's back, period. Across the Atlantic, it's euphoria. An earthquake comparable to a presidential inauguration and a hype worthy of an NBA Finals Game 7. Fans couldn't wait to see His Majesty in action. The next day, he's on the floor. A match against the Pacers, which would become the most watched regular season game in history. 35 million viewers are in front of their screens to witness the return of No. 23. Well, the No. 45 earlier. With his old jersey retired, MJ sports his big brother's lucky number. His second idol after his father. The market square arena is torn between the excitement of seeing the king of basketball back on the floor and the fear of a new tyrannical reign. The future will prove them right. For one, as for the other. After almost two years without playing, Michael Jordan has not yet become Michael Jordan again. In his debut, he scored 19 points on 7-28 shooting. We still have to wait to see the true MJ again. Five games to be exact. And a trip to his favorite garden, the aptly named Madison Square Garden. 55 points on Pat Ewing's head, adorned with a victory over the unfortunate finalists. The Beethoven of basketball is back to compose his 10th symphony. With Jordan's comeback, the Bulls are on a roll, winning 13 of their last 15 games. Fifth in the Eastern Conference at the end of the season, the Bulls enter the playoffs without home advantage. After a successful first round, Jordan and co. take on Shaquille O'Neal's magic. His airness misses game one and loses two important balls in money time. Enough for Nick Anderson to grow wings and provoke the king into a verbal joust. He was like, 45 isn't 23. Number 45 is not number 23. Message received loud and clear, Mike abandons the 45 forever to don his trademark tunic. Only a symbolic act, but it couldn't thwart the impending magic of the finale. But it was enough to send a message to the whole league. The warm-up is over. Next season, the king comes to reclaim his crown. In the summer of 1995, the Bulls found the missing shenan in an already well-established team, Dennis Rodman. No longer in the odor of sanctity in Texas, Rodzilla arrived to bring his fierce defense and unrivaled rebounding skills to the table. As a result, the Bulls are once again unplayable. Jordan is still the strongest when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. Scottie Pippen is even more impressive than in previous years, while Dennis Rodman takes care of the dirty work. Add to this Tony Kukoc at the top of his game and an army of role-players ready to do anything to restore his majesty's credentials, and you have the best team of all time. 72 victories in just 10 defeats. A record sublimated by a new title for Jordan and his team. A fourth ring on Father's Day, like a symbol. Since that wasn't enough, his airness also won the next two, thus achieving a second three-peat. An unrivaled and perhaps unparalleled feat. In 1998, after a final shot that has become the stuff of legend, Michael Jordan once again bowed out. I am here to announce my retirement from the game of basketball. It won't be another announcement to baseball or anything to that nature. But this time, the king is dead. Long live the king. This is a life that he has built through his own sweat and intelligence and hard work and determination. Everybody knew that he was a fine player, but I don't think anybody had any idea that he would become what he became. You just don't imagine a person becoming that good. I had to build up strength within myself to pursue life after James Jordan. He was so much a part of me. Well, I think, you know, on the floor, I don't think there'll ever be another Michael Jordan. Not only was he special as a player, he also was a person who managed that specialness and handled his ego and realized his responsibility to be a role model to a lot of kids.