Pat Riley on Michael Jordan: ‘As a rookie, he wasn’t a rookie’

Pat Riley praised Michael Jordan as a rookie in ‘The Last Dance’ documentary that debuted on Sunday night.

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The first two episodes of the highly-anticipated 10-part documentary chronicling the Chicago Bulls’ 1997-98 championship season debuted on Sunday night to much fanfare.

Michael Jordan dominated the storylines before the release of “The Last Dance” after he agreed to participate in the filming of it. From Barack Obama to the players themselves, several key figures recounted stories of that famed Bulls team.

The first episode focused largely on Jordan landing with the Bulls in the 1984 NBA Draft with the third overall pick, including his time in college at North Carolina. Jordan was named the 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year and helped lead the Bulls into the playoffs in his first season.

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Jordan averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals during his rookie season and quickly became the best player on the Bulls. Jordan recalled a game early in that season in which he helped lead the Bulls to a comeback win as the point in time when he became the leader of that team inside of the locker room.

Pat Riley, the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers at the time, offered high praise for Jordan during his rookie season, saying he didn’t act like a rookie and didn’t play like one, either. Jordan was named a starter in the All-Star Game that season and is still one of the few players to earn that honor as a rookie.

The documentary offered basketball fans, especially the younger generation, the opportunity to relive the greatness of Jordan, especially during his early seasons in the NBA.

Episodes three and four of “The Last Dance” are set to run on April 26.

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