Michael Jordan: The Inside Story

SINCE HE RETIRED FOR GOOD IN 2003, Michael Jordan has been an elusive figure. He’s played in and hosted celebrity golf tournaments, occasionally marketed his Nike clothing line and ventured quietly into NBA ownership, all while spending little time publicly reflecting. Even as the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, Jordan has rarely gone on the record; a 2013 Wright Thompson profile for ESPN is perhaps the closest in-depth post-career look at the greatest basketball player to ever live.

But ESPN’s new docu-series, , which premieres on April 19, doesn’t dwell on Jordan’s life since he left the Bulls in 1998. Instead, it adds color and context to his career: the early years in Chicago, the first championship three-peat, the baseball interlude, teammate drama, the movie , and his final three titles. Bouncing primarily between two arcs—one that takes viewers from Jordan’s college years through 1997, and the other that looks closely at 1998—the documentary can be tricky to follow at times. But the dual timelines are valuable in illustrating Jordan’s growth as both a player and phenomenon. It also helps that we see Jordan on