CHICAGO – For a second-straight Monday, the Bulls are the talk of the Chicago and even the entire sports world.
Last week’s hiring of Arturas Karnisovas was all about looking toward the future of the franchise. This Monday, it’s all about a glorious part of the past.
ESPN premiered the first two episodes of “The Last Dance” on Sunday night, which is an all-access look at the final season of the team’s 1990s dynasty. Along with featuring the 1997-1998 season, there is also a look at the building and eventual dismantling of one of the greatest teams in the history of American sports.
As a broadcast partner of the team during the dynasty, WGN-TV will have a few broadcasts along with personalities from past and present featured in the coverage.
The first two episodes featured one major callback from the station’s past.
Bob Costas worked as the play-by-play voice for the Bulls’ broadcasts for WGN-TV during the 1979-1980 season. A clip of him promoting a game that season was used during the first episode of “The Last Dance” on Sunday evening.
Costas teammed up with the late Johnny “Red” Kerr for the broadcasts that season, which wasn’t a very good one for the team.
Under former star player and first year head coach Jerry Sloan, the team finished 30-52 in what would end up being their final season in the Western Conference
Also featured in the start of the documentary was the 1997 championship ring ceremony, the fifth for the team in the 1990s. That was televised in full on WGN, and included the emotional speech from Scottie Pippen, who was out at that time with an injury.
WGN Sports Director Dan Roan’s comments after the ceremony were featured on the episode as he remarked that a few people believed Pippen might be having a surprise retirement speech.
