Michael Jordan said he would only appear in 'The Last Dance' docuseries if he always had the final word

• "The Last Dance" director Jason Hehir told Insider the agreement he made with Michael Jordan so he would always be able to address what others said about him in the ESPN docuseries.
• This was prevalent in a scene in episode 4 where Jordan is allowed to react to what Detroit Piston guard Isiah Thomas said about why his team walked off the court before the game ended against the Bulls in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.
• Hehir also said that Jordan was able to see footage of the series before it aired and gave notes.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Michael Jordan was in control of every facet of a basketball game during his career, and it seems he had that same control when looking back at it.

In episode four of ESPN's "The Last Dance" docuseries, which aired on Sunday, one of the major highlights was Jordan responding to the explanation Detroit Piston guard Isiah Thomas gave as to why he and his teammates walked off the court before the game ended at the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals that saw the Bulls vanquish the Pistons.

Typically, players do not leave the court until after the gave is over. Sometimes players on opposing teams congratulate one another after a game as a sign of respect.

In episode 4, Jordan is shown Thomas' explanation as to why the Pistons, then known as the "Bad Boys," walked off the floor early. Before looking at the footage, Jordan stated any explanation now, years later, wasn't Thomas' true feelings. That anything said now is "bulls---."

Here's Jordan looking at Thomas' explanation:

—Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 27, 2020

This is not the last time Jordan will have the final word in "The Last Dance" docuseries.

"One of his stipulations was that he wanted the last word," Jason Hehir, director of "The Last Dance," told Insider about Jordan's involvement in the doc. "He didn't want his words to be twisted around."

Hehir said logistically, it wasn't possible for Jordan to be the final interview shot for the show, but it was agreed upon that Jordan would have a chance to respond to things said by the other 105 interviews Hehir conducted.

"We worked out with Michael and his team to ensure them that he wasn't going to be blindsided," Hehir said.

It was the kind of tightrope Hehir had to walk throughout the making of "The Last Dance."

The project originated as all-access footage the NBA shot of Jordan and the Bulls trying to claim their sixth NBA title in eight years back in 1998. For that project to move forward, Jordan had to give his OK before the 1997-1998 season began. And decades later, the only way "The Last Dance" could move forward was if Jordan gave his blessing.

But Hehir said the collaboration with Jordan made the project better.

"One of your questions may be, 'Did Jordan have final cut on this?'" Hehir said. "He gave notes on episodes but he didn't give any more notes than any of the other partners did. And oftentimes, his notes were just as good if not better than the other partners because he knew what the truth was."

Hehir said one of Jordan's notes even helped address his comeback to the NBA after a brief stint playing baseball, which is addressed in an upcoming episode.

"Getting a note and then it actually helps the structure of the story was fantastic," Hehir said.

"The Last Dance" airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Read the original article on Insider