5 things we learned from Episodes 1 and 2 of ‘The Last Dance’

5. The “Bulls traveling cocaine circus”

Anyone who’s heard the name “Len Bias” knows how rampant drug use was in the NBA in the ’80s, but a story from Michael Jordan about his first experience with partying as a rookie in the league is still pretty shocking.

When an interviewer told him about a headline referring to the team as the “Bulls traveling cocaine circus,” Jordan reacted with a literal knee-slapper. When asked whether it was an accurate description, he gave the sort of noncommittal “Ahhh” you say when you act like it’s only kind of true, but deep down everyone knows it’s definitely true.

Jordan described how he was looking for his teammates in a hotel in Peoria as a rookie. Knocking on doors, he finally heard a hush fall behind the door in the room where they all were. Once they realized it was just the rookie and let him in, Jordan described the scene:

"“And it was like things I’ve never seen in my life as a young kid. You’ve got your lines over here, you’ve got your weed smokers over here, you’ve got your women over here. So the first thing I said is, ‘Look man, I’m out.'”"

Jordan said he just wanted to play basketball, and one of his teammates mentioned that the baby GOAT’s go-to drink was orange juice and 7UP back then. Still, even if MJ didn’t partake, it’s quite an eye-opening story as to NBA culture at that time and how easily a legendary career could’ve been derailed had he not resisted those temptations.