Originally published in a lifestyle column for The Daily Star (www.hammondstar.com)

I know a few players and teams from professional sports leagues like the NFL and NBA, and I know the difference between a free throw and a field goal. However, at the end of the day, I don’t care for sports much. 

My husband, on the other hand, seems to know it all, and enjoys keeping up with basketball and football at both a college and professional level. People often ask how I ended up marrying someone who is so interested in sports (while I am so not), but I see it as a minor flaw in light of all the other great things about him. 

When he told me about The Last Dance, I felt obliged to say I would watch it with him though I had no real interest in seeing a documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. It was clear he was itching to see something with some sports action, since all sports are suspended indefinitely. Before all the social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he rarely made me sit through a football or basketball game, so I felt I should pay my penance and watch it with him and be a good sport (pun intended). Besides, I enjoyed the Tiger King documentary, so maybe I’d like this one too! 

Right at the beginning of the first episode, I found out it was actually a ten-part documentary. I felt as if I had signed up for a cheap gym membership only to find out I was locked into a 2-year contract. Ten minutes later, however, my worry of being stuck wasting ten hours of life was gone. I was completely hooked on the story of Michael Jordan’s success at such a young age. The celebrity status of the 1990s Bulls along with the constant tension between the team and its management was compelling, even for someone who didn’t care for sports. 

Throughout the first four episodes I also learned many things about the other Chicago Bulls player, namely Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. I had heard the names before, but didn’t exactly know who they were and what made them famous. I assumed Scottie Pippen was the name of a country music star, or something like that. After the first night of watching The Last Dance, I told my husband what I had believed until now, which he responded to with only laughter. He laughed even harder when I confessed that for a very long time, I had confused Dennis Rodman with actor Dustin Hoffman. It was a humbling moment.

Despite my new lesson in humility, I have enjoyed learning about the Jordan dynasty and his “Last Dance” in 1998. If I found it entertaining — even with all my embarrassing misunderstandings — then I’m sure anyone could. If you don’t love basketball, but you love a good story, give it a shot!