Court of Gold is out and the buzz is already electric! Netflix is back with another thrilling sports docuseries. And speaking of it, our minds take us back to other hit shows that are still rewatched by fans. The frenzy and rage over these shows never really get old—such as The Last Dance, which was released in 2020. This was when the world stayed indoors due to COVID-19. Well, both docuseries are different. The Last Dance took us back to the glorious past, while the new docuseries is focused on the present and future of the sport.

However, these two still have many surprising connections. From the camaraderie to the guest appearances, there is a lot in common between these two docuseries.

The Last Dance producer directed Court of Gold

And it all starts with the director of the six-part docuseries Court of Gold, Jake Rogal. Giving a glimpse of the four basketball teams, USA, France, Serbia, and Canada, at the 2024 Paris Olympics wasn’t an easy feat, but he had some help. Rogal helped produce The Last Dance. It meant for this Netflix series focused on the Olympics, he took up the role of director. Meanwhile, the mastermind who directed The Last Dance took the seat of a producer this time.

Jason Hehir, who directed The Last Dance, produced Court of Gold. Even after swapping roles, the two seemed to have done their part very well. When director Rogal was asked how his previous experience helped him, he shared, “Jason Hehir was the director of it, and he was an executive producer on this. So having him in my corner was so important for me, for my soul and for my brain. The thing about ‘The Last Dance’ was it was such an intimidating project with a lot of eyes on it like Michael [Jordan], who is arguably the most famous person in the world, it means a lot to a lot of people.”

Rogal further added, “When you’re in such a high-pressure situation like that and you go into another one like this, the feeling is familiar. The projects were completely different creatively because ‘The Last Dance’ was about nostalgia and ‘Court of Gold’ is about the future of basketball and seeing something new. For both, it’s a lot of pressure and a lot of big names you’re dealing with, and I think that was applicable to both.” Apart from Rogal and Hehir, there was another reunion.

Steve Kerr’s appearance in Court of Gold

The 2024 Team USA head coach, Steve Kerr, can be seen on the poster of The Last Dance series. Hehir initially had doubts about featuring Kerr on the poster as he wasn’t a starter for the Bulls in that season (1997-98). However, eventually, the director chose to keep Kerr in the poster. In this new series, Kerr is now the head coach of Team USA.

Speaking of working with Kerr, Rogal explained, “All the coaches were amazing. Steve Kerr is incredible. He makes you feel like you’ve known him for 20 years. You never feel like you’re being annoying or imposing, which is a feeling you might have.” In the series, Kerr was seen guiding the team. In one of the segments, he was seen praising Stephen Curry as he explained how the Golden State Warriors star played a crucial role. No one can ever forget Curry’s clutch three-pointer that led the team to victory. While the shot was heartbreaking for Team France, it became awe-inspiring for the aspiring basketball stars.

Despite the creative differences, the two docuseries focus on one crucial element which is camaraderie. In The Last Dance, we watched how Michael Jordan and the rest led the Chicago Bulls, while the new series also shows interesting pairs. One such is LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the two bitter rivals for most of their careers coming together. And we certainly cannot forget the iconic and special apperances! 

The 44th President of the United States stole the spotlight!

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, made an appearance in The Last Dance series. How he was referred to in the show became a big talking point at that time. In the show, Hehir didn’t wish to bring in famous people just to talk about Michael Jordan. And he had a plan. When Mr. Obama was shown in the first episode of The Last Dance, he was not referred to as the former president. Rather, Hehir decided to go with “former Chicago resident.”

And the netizens found this clever trick absolutely hilarious. So rather than his status as an important member of the USA, the chyron stated, “former Chicago resident.” Even Bill Clinton had something similar, “former Arkansas governor.” Mr. Obama also made an appearance in the Court of Gold.

And here, his conversation with Anthony Edwards is going viral. The 23-year-old has made many bold claims before. It’s very much like him. And he did the same while speaking to Mr. Obama as well. During the event, Team USA had a chat with Mr. Obama. And while speaking of Edwards, he asked Joel Embiid, “He can hoop a little bit, huh?”And well, Edwards was quick to add, “Nah, y’all better stand down. I’m the truth.”

Netizens are losing it over Edwards’ confidence. The 44th President of the United States not only found Edwards’ confidence admirable, but he also shared the same with LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He even gave a shout-out to Edwards during his brief appearance on The Old Man and the Three. Which one of these connections did you find interesting?