Leonardo DiCaprio surprised listeners of the New Heights podcast (hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce) by recalling that he attended Michael Jordan’s final game with the Chicago Bulls: “I had to be there for Michael Jordan’s last shot [against] the Utah Jazz,” he said. The anecdote, shared alongside Benicio del Toro, not only highlights the connection between film and sports, but also brings back a historic moment for basketball fans.
According to DiCaprio, the end of the game left a lasting impression: “The whole stadium just exploded into the air, I remember it. That was an incredible moment, man.” That instant-the decisive shot by Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals-remains a cult image for Bulls fans and is now resurfacing thanks to the actor’s memory.
The connection with ‘The Last Dance’ and popular culture
It’s no coincidence that DiCaprio’s presence appears in The Last Dance: the documentary series had already shown his attendance and his meeting with Jordan after the Bulls’ victory. The combination of personal testimony and archival footage strengthens the narrative around Jordan’s legacy and positions DiCaprio as a privileged witness to that historic transition.
DiCaprio and Del Toro joined New Heights to talk about their new film One Battle After Another, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. In the movie, DiCaprio plays Bob, a former member of French 75 who must rescue his daughter after the reappearance of an old enemy; he shares the screen with Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, and Regina Hall. The sports memory came up naturally in the conversation, serving as an emotional hook for the promotion.
Leonardo DiCaprio and his career
The mention comes as no surprise: DiCaprio is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary cinema. With multiple Oscar nominations-from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-and a win for The Revenant (2016), his presence at cultural events draws media attention to both worlds: film and sports. His most recent work in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) keeps that interest alive.
DiCaprio’s testimony serves as a reminder that great sports moments transcend the court and feed into popular culture. The anecdote about Michael Jordan’s final game not only reconnects fans with a historic night, but also underscores how cultural figures like DiCaprio help keep the conversation alive about legends like Jordan.
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