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Like the rest of America, Gene Keady is aware of the ESPN documentary "The Last Dance," a ballyhooed 10-part series on the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan’s final season with the franchise that capped an epic run of six NBA titles in eight years.
“My buddies told me about it, so I’ll watch it,” Keady said from his home in Myrtle Beach, S.C. “(Jordan is) a good friend. He’s a guy who liked everybody … unless you were trying to beat him.”
The much-anticipated documentary promised to pull back the curtain on Jordan’s Bulls, offering an unvarnished look at the end of a dominating era fueled by a player some feel is the best ever to play the game.
Keady was Purdue's coach during Jordan's North Carolina career that ran from 1981-84. But he never squared off vs. Jordan's Tar Heels.
"I played against a lot of North Carolina teams, but never Michael Jordan,” said Keady, who won six Big Ten titles in 25 years at Purdue. “Thank goodness.”
Keady came close to facing Jordan, who led North Carolina to the national championship in 1981-82 as a freshman.
Keady's first meeting vs. the Tar Heels came on November 30, 1985, in the Great Alaska Shootout--missing Jordan (who left after his junior year of 1983-84) by two seasons. Dean Smith's UNC squad was No. 1 in the nation and beat the Boilermakers, 73-62, in what was then a prestigious event in Alaska. Keady would play UNC six more times ... and lose them all, going 0-7 vs. the Tar Heels.
The Boilermakers are 2-8 all-time vs. the Tar Heels. Purdue won the first two meetings, taking a 92-65 win in the 1969 Final Four and then beating UNC 82-71 in the 1974 NIT. North Carolina has taken the last eight meetings.
While Keady missed coaching against Jordan, Purdue’s all-time winningest coach did have some interactions and dealings with Jordan--the No. 3 pick in the 1984 NBA draft-- over the years.
“I worked in his fantasy camp in Las Vegas a couple years, and he was just always a great guy to be around,” said Keady, who is No. 3 all-time in Big Ten wins (265). “He's very competitive. Fun guy. He likes to play golf. We were just excited to be around him and have fun.”
Jordan is famous for winning money on the golf course by betting his competitors. Did Keady ever golf with MJ?
"Usually, he and (Charles) Barkley were playing," said Keady. "He didn't play with me too much because I wasn't on the high-roller list."
The 83-year-old Keady has seen a lot of tremendous basketball players during his days. Where does he rank Jordan among the all-time greats?
“Well, he's one of the top two or three,” said Keady. “I'm not sure he's the best, but it's a hard call. I wouldn't say anybody's any better than LeBron James … Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, it's just a discussion of what your era was, probably.”
Jordan’s competitive fire resonates with Keady, who was an assistant in the NBA with the Raptors in 2005-06.
“He came up the hard way,” said Keady. “He got cut (from the varsity) as a sophomore in high school (Laney High in Wilmington, N.C.) You know, it's one of those things where he didn't have it easy coming up as a youngster.
“His daddy got murdered (in the 1990s), so that was not good time in his life, so he had some tough times.”
While Jordan is the central figure in “The Last Dance,” Bulls general manager Jerry Krause is another main subject.
“I knew him a little bit, not much,” said Keady. “I didn’t know many of those players with the Bulls. I was too busy trying to win at Purdue back then.”
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