For twenty years, millions of young basketball fans wondered what made the legend of Michael Jordan so resoundingly dominant that he was the undisputed G.O.A.T. by all who witnessed him. Could someone have been that much better than Kobe and Lebron? Those two raised this generation.

Last night, we were gifted with glimpses into how Michael Jordan achieved that sole status, and why every other subsequent superstar has built their own legacy and game off of his magnificence. That includes Kobe and Bron.

Michael Jordan’s story cannot be told without mentioning Scottie Pippen. That is something to be appreciated most about the debut of “The Last Dance.” Both men had a distinct depth in character.

Scottie was the perfect selfless superstar to keep MJ’s wings soaring.

“My day will come.” These were the few words Pippen whispered while being asked what he thought about still being just the 6th highest-paid player on the Chicago Bulls and 122nd highest-paid in the NBA. Five championships in seven years. Batman’s Robin. Perhaps, even being the 2nd-best player in the NBA.

- “My day will come.” -

Emerging from a humble upbringing in Hamburg, Arkansas, while caring for two paralyzed family members (his father and brother), we learned how endearing Pippen’s main motivation was — ensuring his loved ones would definitively be taken care. In signing a long-term 7-year, $18 million contract in 1991, if Scottie got injured, his family would be in good hands. I’m not sure we realized the degree of poverty Scottie Pippen had grown up in. Peace of mind was luxury enough for him.

As a player who was a walk-on at the University of Central Arkansas — promoted from being an equipment manager — Pippen’s selfless grit-and-grind character was the defining factor in buoying Michael Jordan and the Bulls to six championships in eight years. That is something we should never forget.

“I’ve had a wonderful career here. If I never get the chance to say it again, thank you.” Near the end of the run, the crowd roared in love, showering Scottie with petals of affirmation in what ended up being his final season in Chicago. It was a “we love you” to a superstar who was mostly shadowed over. All eyes were on Michael.

When MJ entered the NBA, he was a pretty regular dude. The times were different. As an NBA player, you did not need to act as anything other than yourself. Things were authentic. Young Michael Jordan lived in a simple apartment, had a normal routine, stayed away from the hype, while remaining hyper-focused. He came from a hard-working, educated family. Young Michael was months removed from relying upon his mom for money and stamps to send letters home. This was “Michael” — he never felt the need to change.

At some point, Michael became MJ, and as has been celebrated for decades, his relentless will to win was pioneering, and has dominated the aura of his legacy. He did not care for the business side of the game. No tanking, and definitely, no blowing up a resilient, championship team for a “future” nobody can predict.

Every moment mattered for MJ. He craved that edge over the opponent. “Put me in during the most important seven minutes each half.” That was MJ’s compromise to his 14-minute limit restriction to playing while hurt — even with the 10% chance of a career-ending injury.

We are still learning what fed MJ’s insatiable hunger to dominate. More than competition, it seems to have started from a personal sense of feeling small to his potential. Getting cut from varsity, losing to his older brother Larry. He wanted to find a way, and would. It’s amazing what one jumpshot in the 1982 national championship can do for your confidence.

This fiery hunger to crush the competition united and ignited these two Hall of Famer’s. “Every day Scottie wasn’t playing, it gave someone else the confidence that they could beat us. If you’re trying to maintain dominance, you don’t want to give them a chance to gain any confidence.” In the first night alone, the whole world can tell — dignified character and a curated mentality respectively drove Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan to a victorious, solemn Last Dance.