Five vehicles from the Netflix series The Last Dance we'd love to own
While Michael Jordan was the GOAT in the NBA, the vehicles featured in the Netflix doco series about him are the real MVPs.The Last Dance documentary miniseries about basketball superstar Michael Jordan and the 1997–98 Chicago Bulls season hit Netflix back in April 2020. The dominance of the Chicago Bulls during this era was phenomenal and the series focuses on the power of Jordan and chemistry with teammates including Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman is given center stage.
There are clips showcasing some of the team’s greatest matches, never seen before footage and interviews with over 100 insiders who were close to the team. The cars of Jordan and his teammates also feature throughout the series and piqued our interest as both NBA and car fans. Here are five which featured in the series which we would love to own ourselves thar are peak '90s status symbols so we can be 'Like Mike'.
Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet (Slant Nose)
911 Turbos have always been effortlessly cool (and extremely fast), but the slant nose treatment with pop up headlights – which was a very costly option direct from the Porsche factory – takes it to another level.
There’s just something so cool about pop-up headlights – all that extra design and engineering for a sleeker and more aerodynamic look that improves airflow and performance. An approach which correlates with the legendary way that Mike took to refining his game.
The slant nose would’ve been an ultra-rare sight on Chicago streets, differentiating MJ from ‘ordinary’ 911 owners, and as a consequence a fitting ride for the GOAT.
Chevrolet Corvette C4 ZR-1
While Mustang drivers might have something to say, the Corvette was/is known as America’s Sports Car. With Mike selling Americana through deals with McDonald’s, Nike and Gatorade, it’s no shock that America’s most famous athlete had a 'Vette, but not a stock standard one of course, the top of the range ZR-1.
Even though the design is both sleek and brutish, Corvettes don’t really float my boat (mainly due to the fact that they handled like donkeys in Gran Turismo on the original Playstation). However, there’s a certain symbolism that I can appreciate with Mike behind the wheel of America’s (then) finest.
Land Rover Range Rover HSE 4.6
Before the BMW X5, Mercedes ML-Class, Porsche Cayenne and current global obsession for all things SUV, the Range Rover was the go-to luxury SUV for making a big statement on downtown US streets in the '90s. In his hulking, almost Chicago-red V8 Rangie, Mike sat taller and higher than everyone else, both figuratively and literally.
And like all good Alphas, he wasn’t shy about it…
The Range Rover wasn’t as fast or fun as other vehicles in MJ’s stable, but perhaps the best and most memorable thing about this car is its number plates that read “TWO TREY” (his famous #23 jersey number for all the non-basketball fans out there). Chicago drivers certainly knew when MJ was about to drive the lane, both on the court at the United Center and on the road.
Ferrari 550 Maranello
Ferrari is perhaps the pinnacle of automotive brands and performance and you just know the V12 models like the 550 – the ultimate expression of the Prancing Horse - resonated with His Airness, who saw himself as the pinnacle of the NBA.
In fact Mike had more than one V12 Ferrari. And back then they were manual, which suited MJ and his need to control his own destiny to a tee.
This Ferrari 550 meant so much to Mike that it went on to inspire the design of the iconic Air Jordan 14 model, its influence obvious in the yellow Jumpman logo that mimics the iconic Ferrari badge, the 14’s midsole resembles the grille and the body kit, while the rubber heel borrows elements of the Ferrari’s tyres.
Dennis Rodman’s Harley Davidson
Marrying Carmen Electra on a whim for 9 days, the changing hair colours and piercings, mid-season benders in Vegas, dating Madonna, winning championships with the Bulls… ‘The Worm’ Dennis Rodman was a legendary figure that lived by his own set of rules and was hell bent on flaunting society’s conventions.
And nothing says “IDGAF what you think about me” like riding 'round Chi Town in a loud and mean Harley Davidson, sans helmet and guns out, right at the height of your fame. The perfect ride for one of the NBA’s most controversial and greatest players.
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