The Last Dance (now on Netflix), the docuseries about Michael Jordans last season with the Chicago Bulls, mentions a controversial book, The Jordan Rules, which was published in 1992 about the 1991-92 Bulls season. Controversial because it painted an unflattering portrait of Jordan as a teammate.

But it was actually the medias reaction to the book which set off the firestorm, as well as condemnations from people who hadnt even read the book.

After watching The Last Dance (which I heartily recommend), I decided to read The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of a Turbulent Season with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, written by Sam Smith, who covered the Bulls for The Chicago Tribune.

And I was shocked shocked at why this book was considered so evil by so many at the time.

Unlike Jim Boutons Ball Four, the book does not delve into the personal affairs of the players. It just chronicles their interactions with Jordan and each other over the course of the season. It wasnt a hit-and-run piece, as Smith traveled with the team all season and continued to do so for years to come.

In an introduction to a later edition of the book, Smith wrote, I told every player about the book before I wrote it, although Jordan later said he didnt recall that. I sat down with every one of them at lunch or dinner and explained this was a book about basketball, not private lives. I remain proud of the book because it didnt hurt anyone in that way. And to this day I remain friendly with most of those players.

Apparently it is almost impossible to write a book like this without creating misunderstanding. When John Feinstein wrote A Season on the Brink about Bobby Knights 1985-86 season with Indiana, Knight gave Feinstein permission to immerse himself in the program, giving him the chance to attend meetings and practices, to travel with the team, and even to sit on the bench during games.

Nevertheless, Knight complained to the Chicago Sun-Times that Feinstein wrote the book completely outside the parameters that were set. The book was supposed to be about the players, but it was about me, starting with the cover and going right on through.

Feinstein claimed that Knight knew from the outset that he would be the focus.

Similarly, Jordan was upset with the book.

There was no question he was angry then, wrote Smith, though I felt it was more because of the negative publicity from portions of the book that were taken out of context by others. My guess is Jordan never read the book. But people who read it now ask me why it was such a big deal then.

Count me among that number. The book is tame to the point of being PG by todays tell-all standards. It is well-written and fair. It paints all the players, including Jordan, as merely human and simply portrays the inevitable conflicts and jealousies that arise when 12 people are so close to one another day in and day out for an entire basketball season.

All Smith did was write about the players thoughts and feelings, which they freely shared with him.

Theres always been this mystery and guessing game about The Jordan Rules,' wrote Smith. Who was the source, the Deep Throat. Ive always hated that since the implication is someone handed me all this information and I sat around and just waited There was no secret source. Everyone was the source.

The title of the book conveys the fact that Jordan was treated differently from the other players. Looking back, that was no great revelation.

As Smith explained, The Jordan Rules wasnt a difficult story to get if you looked. For several years, players would tell me something about how Jordan had held someone up to ridicule, or skipped a mandatory workout of some sort. Phil (coach Phil Jackson) had explained publicly, which was part of his brilliance, that the pretty girl gets kissed. In other words, some people just get better treatment because society sees them as more special than others.

At the time, the public didnt want to burst the bubble of the Michael Jordan mystique. Everyone wanted to be like Mike. But Smith felt he might have done MJ a favor.

Michael Jordan had been marketed as perfect, Smith wrote. And he looked the part with that magnificent smile and spectacular game. I always figured The Jordan Rules took some pressure off him by showing he wasnt perfect and he didnt have to be, and that the fans will still love him. Not that the book did him any favors. But he always worried about being unloved and unpopular, and here I was writing about him being a real guy, hardly a criminal but difficult at times. How dare me! And you know what, they still loved him. Maybe even more.

The Jordan Rules is well worth the read and a great companion to The Last Dance. I felt the docuseries glossed over some of Jordans faults and that the book was more honest and less biased. In any case, both are great antidotes to the boredom of sheltering in place.

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Sieger: What was the big deal about The Jordan Rules? - Vacaville Reporter