NEWSLETTER
During stretches of the spring and summer that were live sports, many fans turned to “The Last Dance,” the ESPN’s docu-series that chronicled the trials, tribulations, and ultimately, triumph of the 1998 Chicago Bulls’ final championship season. For some, it gave fans a window into things we didn’t see in the final year of Chicago’s dynasty. Others watched remembering “the good old days” of Bulls basketball.
But for Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, it provided so much more:
“Every time we travel, I’ve been watching “The Last Dance” … trying to replicate that mindset. Just learning about Michael Jordan, and kind of the ‘Mamba Mentality’ of Kobe and everything he did and how he approached the game.”
Entertain me by giving me the wiggle room to make some assumptions and draw conclusions. OK? Cool.
I think I can conclude Trubisky’s most recent “Last Dance” episode was the one prominently featuring Kobe Bryant. And perhaps, from that, Trubisky is taking away lessons about competitiveness, focus, and how to approach big moments. Because, if you’ll recall, among the highlights from that particular episode was how Jordan respected Bryant as a competitor because of how he approached the game. Jordan saw the passion, drive, and focus that made him great in Bryant. It’s among the reasons Jordan viewed Bryant as a little brother. And that’s not nothing, especially since Jordan didn’t have that type of relationship with many (if any) in the game. Having watched Bryant’s entire career, it’s easy to see how Bryant dabbled in mimicking Jordan’s game, emulating his style, and drawing inspiration from how Jordan went about his business.
And frankly, Trubisky would do well in following Jordan’s way, too.
