The final two episodes of The Last Dance, a historic multi-part documentary about Michael Jordan, aired this weekend as the world has been captured by the story of his one-of-a-kind career. Following the finale, the director of the series explained that only a couple of notable players refused to be interviewed, calling them out by name.
Jason Hehir, the director of The Last Dance, has said that two big names declined to sit down to appear in the documentary, revealing that Karl Malone and Bryon Russell both turned down the opportunity. In Episode 9, Michael Jordan details how peeved he was at Malone winning the Most Valuable Player award during the 1996-1997 NBA season. It would have been nice to get his take on things but, clearly, Malone was concerned about appearing in the picture.
As for Bryon Russell's declined offer, he's likely still salty about Jordan's memorable jump shot over him, which won the game against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals. The made basket has since been described as "The Last Shot."
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Hehir did not explain why the pair of ballers declined to be in The Last Dance, but Clutch Points suggests it likely has to do with reliving the pain of losing back-to-back to the Bulls in the Finals.
What did you think of the docu-series?
Karl Malone’s Dark Past With Minor Overshadows "Last Dance" Cameo
Karl Malone may have been a great scorer but there is one story that has followed him his entire life.
Everyone was tuned in to the final two episodes of "The Last Dance" last night and with good reason. We got to watch Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls defeat the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals during back-to-back seasons. Of course, the two stars of the Jazz at that time were none other than John Stockton and Karl Malone. While Stockton is respected as a great point guard, Malone doesn't seem to get much recognition as the second-highest scorer in NBA history. Although, as many people on Twitter found out last night, there is a good reason why.
Malone allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old by the name of Gloria Bell, when he was 20 years old. She eventually gave birth to a child named Demetrius who is allegedly Malone's son. In an ESPN story from Jemele Hill that was published 12 years ago, it was revealed that the allegations were proven to credible since there was an actual DNA test given.
If you're wondering why Malone was never interviewed for "The Last Dance," or why he is never talked about in GOAT conversations, now you understand why. His reprehensible past is something people rightfully consider when talking about his legacy.
As soon as Malone was talked about in "The Last Dance," Twitter users hopped on the platform to remind people of his past. In the reactions below, you can see just how much his past has destroyed his solid NBA career.
