Sports fans have been captivated by "The Last Dance ," the 10-partESPN documentary series aboutMichael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls.- But one
NBA icon — and longtime adversary of Jordan — refuses to tune in. - New York Knicks legend
Patrick Ewing said he "lived through it so I don't need to watch it." - "Now y'all have a documentary that you have to keep rubbing it in my face," he added in his interview on "The Dan Patrick Show."
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Without live sports to watch, "The Last Dance" — the 10-part ESPN documentary series about Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls — has captivated the world and kept fans entertained through quarantine.
But one NBA icon who appears multiple times in the series refuses to tune in to watch the finished product.
New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing — who was a longtime adversary of Jordan on the court — said he "lived through" Jordan and the Bulls' dominance throughout the 1990s "so I don't need to watch it... I know he's great."
"I had to live through that," Ewing said in an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show." "I had to live through him and all the battles we had to go through, and now y'all have a documentary that you have to keep rubbing it in my face."
Ewing conceded that he understands the appeal of "The Last Dance" and why casual fans and NBA die-hards alike would be infatuated with the inside look at Jordan's dynasty. But for him, as someone who suffered many a heartbreaking loss at the hands of His Airness, Scottie Pippen, and the rest of the legendary 1990s Chicago squad, watching the docuseries is less exciting than it is a painful reminder.
"As fans, people are in awe of him," Ewing said. "But we're the ones that had to battle him. As a competitor, you can't think of him as 'Michael Jordan: one of the greatest players to ever play the game.' You're out there trying to kick his butt, and you and your team are trying to do everything possible to try to beat that team."
The 11-time NBA All-Star and current Georgetown Hoyas even sat for an interview with "The Last Dance" production crew, but apparently his own commentary wasn't enough to pull him into the series.
"They asked me a million questions," Ewing said. "I think they might've shown me on a small piece of it, but I think they interviewed me for about an hour."
Patrick said he anticipates Ewing playing a larger role in the final episodes of the series, but all signs point to the fact that the 7-footer won't be watching either way.
Check out Ewing's full interview on "The Dan Patrick Show" below:
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