If you're now going to be craving for another sports documentary to watch now that 'The Last Dance' is over, here are some ideas for you courtesy of the LA Times:
“Kobe Bryant’s Muse”
Available on: Showtime
It still may be too heartbreaking for fans to watch this 2015 documentary about Bryant, who was killed along with his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in January. But this film may be the closest thing there is to “The Last Dance,” since Bryant and Jordan were so united in their spirit and competitive drives that they could have been brothers. (In fact, Jordan referred to Bryant as his little brother in a tearful eulogy at Bryant’s memorial.) “Muse” shows Bryant vibrantly alive, cocky and candid as he goes over his career and the forces that influenced him throughout his life. The film features a wealth of rarely seen footage that reaches back to Bryant’s early childhood in Italy. There is also footage of him enjoying his post-basketball life with his wife, Vanessa, and his daughters, which now has an added poignancy.
“Free Solo”
Available on: Hulu, Disney+
Viewers of this Oscar-winning 2018 film about “free climber” Alex Honnold who don’t catch their breath or find their pulse racing should get checked out by their doctor. Honnold made headlines when he became the first person ever to climb the sheer 3,000-foot face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park completely without ropes, anchors or other support safety gear. Honnold tempts death constantly with his quest to climb treacherous mountains without anything to save him if he makes even one small move or miscalculation. Filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin also put themselves in harms way as they chronicle Honnold’s journey. Locate the largest screen possible to watch this harrowing adventure.
“Hoop Dreams”
Available on: HBO
This fascinating landmark documentary is a revealing portrait of two promising young basketball players from Chicago. Filmmakers Steve James, Frederick Marx and Peter Gilbert shot 250 hours of the pair over a five-year period, documenting their lives before high school and what happened after they graduated. Although the 1994 film is close to three hours long, it’s so engrossing that you won’t notice. And like “O.J.: Made In America,” it proves some harsh observations about society and race. The Times’ national basketball writer Dan Woike calls it “the best basketball movie ever.”